THE MISTAKE
by luvhouse5
Summary: Sequel to "The Jerk." Huddy, Chase/ OC, Old Team, New Team, Wilson. Possible Huddy baby and a Vicodin addict that you would be least likely to suspect. Romance, angst, hurt/ comfort, drama, sex.
1. Chapter 1

**HI EVERYONE!!**

**AS PROMISED, HERE IS THE SEQUEL TO "THE JERK."**

**I HAVE WRITTEN OTHER FANFICS ON THE FOX SITE, BUT THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE MOST AMBITIOUS STORY I HAVE EVER DONE.**

**AND EVEN IF YOU HAVEN'T READ "THE JERK," THIS FIRST CHAPTER MAKES IT EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON.**

**AS FAR AS SHIPS, THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF HUDDY, CHASE/ OC, HOUSE- CHASE INTERACTION, HOUSE/ WILSON INTERACTION, CHASE/ CUDDY INTERACTION, WILSON/ CUDDY INTERACTION, SOME APPEARANCES BY NEW TEAM MEMBERS...**

**YOU GET THE IDEA.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-)**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!** 

******************************************************************* "

**THE MISTAKE**

**CHAPTER 1: Please read and comment.**

_She pressed harder against him as he seemed to push even deeper inside her._

_Their lips were millimeters away from each other's as House tipped over the edge exploding inside her, shuddering as he did._

_She held onto him as tightly as she could, as if she'd never let go of him._

_As their breathing relaxed, she leaned against his chest once more, listening to the steady beat of his heart._

_"You ok?" House breathed._

_"Never better," Cuddy replied blissfully._

_House exhaled deeply, looking down at her._

_"You think I can get you pregnant in this position?" he asked her._

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It was 8 AM on December 26, and Robert Chase was lying on his back with his eyes closed.

The lower half of his body was inside the MRI machine at Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital.

Even with the headphones on, the rhythmic banging noise still reverberated throughout his ears and the rest of his body.

But despite the noise, he was on the verge of falling asleep.

He was incredibly tired.

He was incredibly tired because he barely got any sleep the night before.

He barely got any sleep the night before because he was up for a good part of the night due to the incessant throbbing pain in his left ankle.

His ankle was incessantly throbbing because he slipped and fell on the ice as gracefully as a dying gazelle on his way to Cuddy's house for a Christmas party.

The party had been fun. Cuddy had made great hors d'ouvers, Wilson, House and Kutner were there as well, and they had played poker.

And even though House and Sophie managed to hustle the rest of them out of all their money, they still had a great time.

House had purchased a copy of the Kama Sutra as a Christmas present for him and his new girlfriend, Sophie Wilson, mainly to embarrass her older brother, James.

But the book had become quite the conversation piece at Cuddy's place and was eventually the hit of the party.

Especially when Cuddy and Sophie were discussing which positions Chase would be able to perform with a sprained ankle.

And to top it off, House had slipped him one of his precious Vicodin for the pain.

But today, there was no more Vicodin.

Only pain.

And exhaustion.

"Almost done, Dr. Chase," a voice from the ante room of the MRI said through the headphones he was wearing to block out the noise of the machine.

Chase didn't reply. One wasn't supposed to talk during these things.

At first, Chase didn't even want to get an MRI. Sophie had suggested it the night before when he attempted to go get them an extra blanket, but he had dismissed her idea pretty quickly.

But when the pain in his ankle had woken him up this morning out of a deep sleep at five AM, and he saw that his ankle was swollen to the size of a tennis ball, he considered the possibility that Sophie, a third year medical student at Boston University, might just know what she was talking about.

A few moments later, when Chase had almost drifted off to sleep in the MRI, the sound of the machine turning off jerked him awake.

"All done," the radiologist said, who was now standing next to him.

Chase slowly sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed portion of the MRI machine. He rubbed his face and raked his fingers through his hair.

"Lemme see the scan," Chase said.

The radiologist, a first year intern, looked at Chase with trepidation.

"… we're… not allowed to let the patients see the scan—" he stammered.

"I'm a surgical attending and a department head in this hospital. I know how to read an MRI—" Chase began, slightly impatient.

"…and there's a waiting list… and we're supposed to let the orthopedist see the results first—" the resident continued.

Chase could see that he was making the resident nervous. He decided to tone it down a bit and smiled at him.

"I'm not gonna tell your boss that you let my ankle cut the queue," Chase said in a friendlier tone.

"Now lemme see," Chase added.

The radiologist sighed and reluctantly put his arm around Chase's back and under his armpit to help him into the ante room so he could see the monitor.  

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At around the same time, Sophie Wilson was waiting on a couch in the hallway just outside Radiology, waiting for Chase to be done with his MRI.

She had woken up shortly after Chase had early that morning, and was tired as well. She leaned back on the couch and began to close her eyes.

"Hey, little So," a familiar voice said.

Sophie opened her eyes, looked up and smiled when she saw her older brother, James Wilson, who had just called her by the nickname that he had given her when she was five years old.

"Hey big bro," Sophie replied wearily as Wilson sat down next to her on the couch.

"You look tired," Wilson commented.

"I've been up since five A.M. That's when the pain woke him up," Sophie replied.

Wilson put his arm around his little sister. She leaned against him and closed her eyes.

"He'll be fine. It's most likely just a bad sprain. And it's normal for that kind of pain to interfere with sleep," Wilson reassured her.

"I know…" Sophie said, trailing off.

"Then what else is on your mind?" Wilson asked her.

A half- smile formed on Sophie's face, as it always did when her older brother was able to read her mind.

"We… kinda got into our first fight last night," Sophie told him.

Wilson gazed at her contemplatively, waiting for her to tell the story.

"He tried to get out of bed to get me a blanket and he wound up falling, because he couldn't put any weight on his leg. I told him he needed an X- Ray... he dismissed me… so I suggested an MRI…" Sophie paused.

"And he… told me to stop diagnosing him," Sophie finished, in a slightly softer voice.

"You mean he YELLED at you to stop diagnosing him," Wilson clarified.

"I know he didn't mean to. He was in pain, I was being annoying—" Sophie began.  "You weren't being annoying. You were trying to help him," Wilson told her, not thrilled with the fact that Chase had raised his voice to his sister.

"He apologized," Sophie said. "And he said that he hasn't had someone take care of him in a long time," she added.

"I'd believe that," Wilson agreed.

"But that's still no excuse to lash out at you," Wilson told her.

Before they could continue their conversation, Chase hobbled up to them on a pair of crutches, accompanied by Dr. David Nathan, a senior attending orthopedist. Sophie got up from the couch and walked towards them, followed by Wilson.

"So?" Sophie asked them in a slightly anxious tone.

"Inversion sprain, grade 2," Chase told her, leaning on his crutches.

Sophie's eyes widened at the diagnosis as her eyes darted from Dr. Kessler back to Chase.

"You TORE LIGAMENTS?!" Sophie exclaimed.

"Only partially," Chase assured her.

"You only slipped on the ice!" Sophie said.

"It could have been worse," Dr. Nathan told her.

Sophie exhaled and impulsively rubbed Chase's arm, making him smile.

"So what's the treatment?" Chase asked her, his eyes sparkling.

"R.I.C.E.," Sophie replied promptly.

"Which stands for…" Chase asked, tilting his head slightly forward as he waited for her answer, still smiling.

"Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation for the first 48 hours to keep the swelling down, anti- inflammatory meds and immobilization," Sophie replied.

"Very good," Chase said proudly. Wilson smiled as well at his sister's answers.

"My god, it's like foreplay," a voice said from behind them.

Wilson, Chase and Sophie turned around to see House limping towards them. When he reached where they were standing, House looked Chase up and down, thinking how pitiful he looked, leaning on his crutches.

"Not cool enough to have one of these, huh?" House said condescendingly, lifting up his cane as he spoke.

"Not today," Chase shot back, matching House's tone.

"Here's a prescription for 800 mg of Ibuprofen. Take two every six hours," Dr. Nathan told Chase as he gave him a small sheet of paper.

House chuckled slightly as he took his bottle of Vicodin out of his pocket, shaking it in an exaggerated motion in front of Chase's face.

"DEFINITELY not cool enough to have one of THESE," House snarked.

"Can't you give me something stronger than Ibuprofen?" Chase asked Dr. Nathan in exasperation, becoming irritated with House's antics and impatient with the throbbing in his ankle.

Dr. Nathan hesitated. He had been a senior attending at PPTH for quite some time now, and had always been an extremely conservative practitioner.

And Chase knew this about him.

But Chase also knew that based on the pain he was currently feeling, Ibuprofen wasn't going to do more than barely take the edge off.

Nathan reluctantly took his prescription pad out of his lab coat and a pen out of his breast pocket.

"…I'll give you a script for twelve Vicodin. But that's it. After those run out, you'll take the Ibuprofen," Nathan said as he wrote out the script, handing it to Chase.

"Thank you," Chase said, taking the paper from him.

Nathan nodded and shook Chase and Sophie's hand before excusing himself.

House was about to make another smart remark at Chase's expense, but he stopped himself when he saw Cuddy walking towards them.

After catching her eye, House quickly turned away from her and back towards Chase and Sophie.

"I'll walk you guys out," House suddenly said.

Chase and Sophie exchanged incredibly bewildered looks. Wilson looked just as confused.

"Either you need something from one of us, or you're avoiding HER," Chase remarked, jutting his head at Cuddy, who was still walking towards them.

"Why would you be avoiding Cuddy?" Wilson asked House, intrigued.  "Either she wants sex or Clinic hours from me," House said. "Not really interested in the latter."

At this point, Cuddy had reached them, wearing a concerned smile on her face.

"How's the ankle?" she asked Chase.

"Just a bad sprain. But it's a good thing you gave me a few days off. I won't be able to stand in the OR for quite a while," Chase said as convincingly as he could.

Sophie pursed her lips together to avoid laughing out loud.

"Dr. Chase. are you trying to weasel me out of more vacation days?" Cuddy asked with a smirk.

Chase shrugged. "…Technically, they'd be sick days…" he said playfully.

"I'll give you the rest of the week," she acquiesced, smiling.

Chase smiled, waggling his eyebrows at House in a slightly triumphant manner.

"But then I'm going to find something ELSE for you around here besides surgery," Cuddy said.

"Don't think that just because you slept with her that you're special," House said to him. 

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After Sophie had gone with Chase to the pharmacy to fill his prescriptions, House, Cuddy and Wilson went with them to the parking garage. Wilson placed Chase's crutches in the back seat as Sophie had helped Chase into the passenger side of the car.

"Call if you need anything," Wilson told them.

Chase and Sophie thanked Wilson before they drove away. Wilson then walked away and back into the hospital, leaving House and Cuddy alone in the parking garage.

"We need to talk," Cuddy said to House once Wilson was out of earshot.

House didn't reply, keeping his gaze on Chase's silver Lexus, watching it drive away.

"Who do I have to screw to get a car like that?" House asked, completely avoiding Cuddy's statement.

"Me," Cuddy replied. "And stop deflecting. You can't expect us to go on like business as usual after what you said last night."

"I said a lot of things last night," House said casually.

Cuddy's eyes almost popped out of her head at House's glib response.

"YOU ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO GET PREGNANT!" Cuddy exclaimed.

"No, I asked you if you thought that I could get you pregnant in that POSITION. Big difference," House pointed out.

"Don't play semantics with me," Cuddy told him angrily.

"You got another game in mind? I was always good at checkers," House said in a deadpanned voice before beginning to limp away from her.

"This isn't going to go away just because you do!" Cuddy stated as she followed him back into the hospital.

"Gotta go! Incredibly sick people waiting for the only person who can save them!" House called out over his shoulder, not looking back at her. 

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A few moments later, House and Cuddy had come back inside the hospital.

Having no interest in continuing her conversation with House in front of Wilson, she merely began walking back towards the Clinic area.

Wilson was sitting on the couch, seemingly deep in thought when House walked past him.

"C'mon. I feel like a bagel," House muttered to him.

Wilson looked up and nodded to House absentmindedly.

But as he walked down the hallway with his friend, he couldn't shake off the conversation that he had with his sister a few minutes ago.

As long as Wilson had known Chase, he had always known him as a soft- spoken man.

In fact, he had never even heard of Chase raising his voice to anyone.

Not even House.

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

**HI EVERYONE!**

**SORRY FOR THE WAIT FOR THE SECOND CHAPTER, BUT HERE IT IS!  
**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS AND FOR READING!!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY! **

************************************************************

**CHAPTER 2: Please read and comment.**

That morning, Wilson was sitting at a table with House in the hospital cafeteria, absentmindedly stirring his coffee, still thinking about what Sophie had told him earlier that morning.

"You're unusually quiet," House said to Wilson from behind his copy of the 'National Enquirer,' that he had purchased on his way to the cafeteria.

"Just thinking," Wilson mumbled, watching the coffee in his cup swirl around as he stirred it.

"About what?" House asked.

Wilson looked up from his coffee with an arched eyebrow.

"You really wanna know?" Wilson asked in disbelief.

"Not really," House replied.

"Then why did you ask?" Wilson asked, shooting House an irritated stare.

House put the tabloid down and picked up the bagel that Wilson had bought for him.

"Because whatever you're thinking about is distracting you from giving me my daily dose of morality," House replied before taking a large bite out of the bagel.

Wilson snorted. "I'll let you skip a dose today. Consider it a belated Christmas gift," he quipped.

Just then, Cuddy came into the cafeteria and saw House and Wilson sitting together at a table.

Upon seeing her, House immediately picked up his tabloid and put it in front of his face in an attempt to hide from her.

Knowing that she and House still needed to talk but that this wasn't the right moment to do so, Cuddy merely sighed, got on line and ordered her usual egg white omelet.

Wilson looked back and forth between Cuddy and House, who was still hiding behind the tabloid.

After several moments, Cuddy paid for her omelet and a cup of coffee and left the cafeteria.

"Is she gone?" House asked Wilson, peeking out from behind the tabloid.

"Yeah. Your clever disguise worked," Wilson said sarcastically.

House put the tabloid down and took another bite of his bagel.

"So Cuddy wants you to do Clinic duty?" Wilson asked him.

"Mmm?" House said, the bagel still in his mouth as he looked up at Wilson.

"You're avoiding her. I'm assuming she actually wants you to do your job," Wilson said.

House chewed the remaining bit of bagel in his mouth, swallowed and took a long sip of his coffee, knowing that making up a lie to tell Wilson would be useless.

"She wants to talk," House muttered.

"Well, heaven forbid you do THAT," Wilson snarked.

House paused, mulling over in his mind if he should tell Wilson what was going on between him and Cuddy. Rationalizing that he'd rather Wilson hear it from him than from Cuddy, he decided to come clean.

"…She… wants me to get her pregnant," House mumbled.

Wilson's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. He leaned forward across the table.

"She TOLD you that?!" Wilson hissed.

"…I… may have said… something…" House muttered.

"What did you say?" Wilson demanded eagerly.

"I made a glib remark about maybe being able to get her pregnant in a certain position…" House said with an off- handed shrug.

"A 'certain POSITION?'" Wilson repeated.

House took another sip of his coffee, not bothering to elaborate as a look of realization appeared on Wilson's face.

"You bought two copies of the Kama Sutra, didn't you," Wilson said with a smirk.

"Borders had a sale," House replied.

"Do you WANT to get her pregnant?" Wilson asked.  "Yeah. That's just what I need. A pregnant, hormonal Cuddy in my life. Not to mention a crying, whiny, needy parasite attached to her twenty- four seven," House said acerbically.  "So… basically, you're trying to avoid creating a 'mini- you,'" Wilson clarified.

"I'm not Dr. Evil," House said.

Wilson turned down his lower lip and shrugged slightly.

"Debatable," Wilson stated.

"And I don't cry," House shot back.

"If you don't want to get her pregnant, then why did you even mention it?" Wilson asked him.

"You've never said anything you didn't mean in post- coital bliss?" House demanded.

"Saying that you want to get someone pregnant isn't something that you just SAY after sex," Wilson pointed out.

House grunted and picked up his tabloid once more.

"Apparently, Jennifer Morrison wants to meet George Clooney under the mistletoe," House read aloud from the tabloid in an attempt to deflect.

"House…" Wilson said impatiently.

"I thought she was dating that guy from 'Prison Break,'" House mused.

"Does Cuddy even WANT you to get her pregnant?" Wilson asked.

At this, House put the tabloid down on the table and met Wilson's pointed gaze.

"Duh?! She's only wanted a baby for how many years now?" House asked.

"Oh, I know she wants a baby…" Wilson began.

"…She just might not want a baby with YOU," Wilson finished, picking up his coffee to take a sip.

House furrowed his brow in complete confusion.

"Why wouldn't she want a baby with me?" House demanded.

"Should I make a list?" Wilson replied. 

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An hour later, Chase and Sophie were back in Chase's apartment.

Chase was sitting on his living room couch with his left foot propped up on a pillow that was resting on his coffee table, drinking a cup of tea that Sophie had bought for him from the campus coffee shop on their way back from the hospital. He had already finished the bagel and cream cheese that she had bought for him as well.

He had taken his first Vicodin a half hour ago with the bagel and was already beginning to feel its effects.

"How's the pain?" Sophie asked him from her position next to him on the couch.

"Subsiding," Chase said with a slightly hazy smile.

"Good," Sophie smiled back.

Chase placed his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. She took his cup of tea from him and placed it on the coffee table.

She then leaned back against him, resting her head against his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of his embrace. She rubbed his right thigh lovingly.

"Do you wanna take a nap?" Sophie asked him.

Chase nodded, rubbing her arm in response.

"Then I'll go get you a blanket," Sophie said, beginning to get up.

"Not yet," Chase said, holding her close to him.

He then touched the bottom of her chin so she would meet his gaze.

"You were right," Chase said to her contritely.

"About what?" Sophie asked.

"About getting the MRI," Chase replied.

Sophie smiled softly and kissed his lips tenderly. Chase brushed her lips over and over again.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you last night," Chase whispered sadly against her lips.

"It's ok. You were in pain," Sophie said.

Chase broke off their kiss and stared deeply into her eyes.

"That's no excuse," Chase said sincerely.

"It's understandable—" Sophie began, caressing his cheek.

"And I didn't yell at you because I'm not used to being taken care of," Chase told her, taking her hand off his face and holding it.

"… Then why did you?" she asked.

Chase exhaled deeply, now looking away from her in embarrassment.

"Because I was angry at myself," Chase said.

"I don't understand," Sophie said, shaking her head.

"I ruined our vacation," Chase explained with a shrug.

Sophie scrunched up her face slightly at Chase's statement.

"No you didn't," she said, a tiny laugh escaping her lips.

"We were supposed to go snowboarding this holiday, and now we can't," Chase reminded her.

"So we'll go snowboarding another time," Sophie said simply.

Chase closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch. Sophie moved closer to him and rubbed his chest over his t- shirt.

"Why is this making you so upset?" she asked him.

Chase opened his eyes and ran his fingers through her long wavy hair gently, pausing slightly before telling her what had been on his mind.

"…Allison and I were together for a year and a half…" Chase began.

"And we never went on vacations together," he explained.

Sophie looked up at Chase, keeping her chin on his chest as he continued.

"I used to bring it up in the beginning… but she always found some excuse not to go," Chase said.

"It was one of the reasons why I felt we were never really together," he continued, now looking down at her as he continued to play with her hair.

"I guess… I just want things to be different with you," he said.

"Why do you think they can't be?" Sophie asked him.

"Because both of our schedules are demanding and because you live in Boston and I live here," Chase replied flatly.

"That doesn't mean we can't figure it out," Sophie told him sweetly.

Chase traced her entire face with his eyes and finally smiled at her. Sophie kissed him delicately on the tip of his nose and then kissed his lips once more. Chase closed his eyes, reveling in the feeling of her soft lips on his.

"Now close your eyes and let the Vicodin do its job," Sophie told him.

"Yes ma'am," Chase replied with a grin, giving into the haze that was beginning to overtake him. 

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It was two hours later when Chase's cell phone rang somewhere in his apartment.

Sophie quickly looked up from her Allergy and Immunology textbook at Chase, hoping that the phone ringing didn't wake him.

But between the Vicodin and being up since 5 AM that morning, Chase was still fast asleep and didn't even stir at the noise.

Sophie put her textbook next to her on the couch and got up, frantically looking around Chase's apartment for his phone.

She finally figured out that the ring was coming from the pocket of his jacket, which she had hung up on the hooks in Chase's foyer.

Once she reached the foyer and his jacket, she dug the phone out of the pocket and looked at the caller ID. She didn't recognize the number.

But she recognized the area code:

"212"

Knowing that '212' was for New York City, and not being aware of anyone that Chase knew in Manhattan, Sophie's curiosity got the best of her and she opened Chase's phone.

"Hello?" Sophie said into the phone.

There was a pause before Sophie heard a female voice on the other end.

"…Oh, I'm sorry. I think I have the wrong number," the female voice said.

"Who were you trying to reach?" Sophie asked cordially.

"Robert Chase," the voice replied.

"No, you have the right number," Sophie replied, thinking that the voice on the other end sounded somewhat familiar to her.

"…Can I speak to him?" the voice asked.

"He's sleeping right now. Can I take a message?" Sophie asked.

"…Just tell him Allison returned his call," the voice told her.

Sophie felt an uneasy chill pass through her upon hearing her words.

As far as she knew, Chase only knew one Allison.

And she was pretty sure that it was the one she was thinking of.

"…Ok," Sophie finally said.

"Thanks," Cameron said on the other end of the line before hanging up.

TBC…


	3. Chapter 3

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR WAITING AND FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS.**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

************************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 3: Please read and comment.  **

Around ten minutes after Sophie hung up Chase's cell phone, Chase woke up on his couch out of his Vicodin- induced sleep. He rubbed his face and stretched his body slightly.

"Sophie?" he mumbled aloud.

But she didn't answer him.

He blinked his eyes and looked hazily around his living room, glancing at the time on his cable box and quickly did the math in his head.

It had been a little over two hours since he had fallen asleep on his couch.

Which meant it had been two and a half hours since he had taken his Vicodin.

Which meant he had around an hour and a half before it wore off and would most likely need another one.

"Sophie?" he said louder.

At that moment, Sophie emerged out of Chase's bedroom. She was wearing a pair of tight black yoga pants, a long sleeved heather grey t- shirt, a dark red Northface thermal fleece, a matching red fleece headband around her ears and running sneakers.

"Oh, you're up already?" she said casually, while putting on a pair of red gloves.

Chase, now completely awake, eyed her with confusion.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"For a run," Sophie replied off- handedly, bending down to retie the shoelace on her sneaker.

Chase arched his eyebrows in surprise. He knew that Sophie ran for exercise. When he went up to see her in Boston a month ago, she convinced him to go with her for a few miles, and he found that he actually enjoyed it.

But they both had woken up early that morning to go to the hospital, and the temperature was in the lower thirties that day.

"In this weather? It's freezing outside," Chase remarked.

"It doesn't bother me," Sophie said with a shrug, pulling her long wavy hair up into a ponytail.

"And aren't you tired? We didn't get much sleep last night," he added.

"I'm fine," Sophie replied in the same casual tone.

Chase's eyes darted to the coffee table, where Sophie's cell phone was resting.

"You're not taking your cell?" Chase asked in surprise.

Sophie shrugged again. "No pockets," she said, walking towards the foyer.

"… Is… something wrong?" Chase asked with concern.

"Nope," Sophie called back curtly from the foyer.

"Then why—" Chase began.

Sophie then returned to the living room, holding Chase's cell phone in his hand that she had retrieved from his jacket.

"Just figured you might want some privacy when you call Allison back," Sophie said lightly with just a hint of irritation in her voice.

Chase felt his stomach turn slightly upon hearing this.

"She called while you were sleeping. Said she was returning your call?" Sophie asked, tilting her head slightly.

Before Chase had a chance to answer her, Sophie tossed Chase's cell phone at him, which he caught clumsily.

"Tell her I say 'hi,'" Sophie said flatly before leaving Chase alone in his apartment. 

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At around the same time, Cuddy was sitting on one of the couches in her office. Foreman was sitting across from her on another couch.

"So who did House decide on for Taub's replacement?" Cuddy asked him.

"No one," Foreman replied.

Cuddy scrunched her face up. "I gave you twenty resumes—" she began.

"Why do we need another doctor? There's four of us and I think we're all perfectly capable—" Foreman argued.

"You and Dr. Hadley have been busy with the Clinical trial, which means less time with House," Cuddy pointed out. "And no offense, but Kutner can't replace Chase and Cameron by himself."

Foreman chuckled. "I see your point," he agreed.

Cuddy nodded. "Can you give me a short list by the end of the day?" she asked him.

"No problem," Foreman replied, getting up from the couch.

At that moment, House stormed into Cuddy's office, breezing past Foreman.

"Why don't you want to have a kid with me?" House demanded of Cuddy, seemingly oblivious to the fact that Foreman was standing next to him.

Cuddy's eyes widened and her jaw dropped slightly, genuinely shocked that he would bring up such a private matter between them in front of Foreman.

"Because… you're incredibly selfish, obnoxious and the furthest thing from paternal?" Foreman offered.

"Besides all that," House scoffed, waving his hand dismissively at Foreman.

Cuddy walked up to Foreman, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Could you give us a minute?" Cuddy said to Foreman calmly as she plastered a small, practiced smile on her face.

Foreman nodded with a smirk and let himself out.

Once Foreman was gone, Cuddy smacked House on his arm with the back of her hand, making House recoil.

"What could POSSIBLY possess you to storm into my office and ask me that question?!" Cuddy demanded.

"YOU were the one who wanted to talk about this!" House reminded her.

"In PRIVATE, you idiot! Not here!" Cuddy exclaimed.

House arched his eyebrow slightly as Cuddy exhaled and slumped back onto one of the plush couches in her office.

"And I never said that I didn't want to have a kid with you," Cuddy mumbled.

"You said it. Just not to ME," House pointed out, remembering his conversation with Wilson earlier that morning.

Cuddy looked up at House with a guilty look on her face.

"All right. I MAY have told Wilson about our conversation the other night," Cuddy admitted.  "Did you tell him about the outfit you wore for me while we were having sex? If not, you left out the best part of the story. And Wilson's a stickler for detail," House snarked.

Cuddy closed her eyes, placed her elbows on her knees and rested her head in her hands.

House remained standing, watching her every move, waiting for her to say something.

"I just think that we're rushing things," Cuddy finally said, looking up at him.

House looked at her in genuine surprise. He remained standing, his gaze on her not wavering in the least.

"We've only been together for a little while, and you already want to get me pregnant? Why can't we just enjoy being together for a while?" Cuddy asked him.

"Our relationship might be new, but your ovaries AREN'T," House pointed out.

Cuddy's lips parted slightly as she stared at him blankly, at first, not sure that she had heard him correctly.

"… W-what did you just say?" she managed to say.

"You've tried artificial insemination three times and failed each time. And you're in your forties, so you don't have much time left before menopause," House said in an extremely logical tone.

Cuddy slowly stood up from the couch, her facial expression still blank.

"So… you figured that you'd do me a FAVOR and knock me up?!" Cuddy asked him incredulously.

"C'mon. We both know how badly you want a kid—" House began.

Suddenly, Cuddy slapped House squarely across the face.

The loud 'CRACK' of the palm of her hand meeting his cheek echoed through her office as House's head whipped to the side upon imact.

"You son of a B1TCH!" Cuddy spat out.

House's cheek began to turn red where she had slapped him.

He didn't turn around to face her.

"You really DO know where to poke a sharp stick, don't you?" Cuddy asked menacingly.

House still couldn't look her in her eyes.

"Get out of my office," Cuddy muttered in a low tone, walking away from him and back to her desk.

House finally looked up at the woman he loved, and said nothing as he limped through her office door in humiliation.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Around an hour later, Chase was still sitting on his couch, both his legs stretched out on his couch in front of him as he absentmindedly flipped through the channels on his TV.

He had placed the pillow that Sophie left for him under his bad ankle.

Sophie still hadn't returned from her run.

Still under the effects of the Vicodin, Chase wasn't feeling any pain.

And after playing over the scenario in his mind multiple times, he was more convinced than ever that Sophie over- reacted to Cameron's phone call.

He glanced at his cell phone which was resting next to him on the couch. He shrugged slightly as he picked it up and pressed the number in his contacts for Cameron's cell phone.

"Dr. Cameron," Cameron's voice said after two rings.

"Dr. Chase," Chase replied playfully, thickening his accent slightly with a smile.

Cameron laughed on the other end. "Hey," she said.

"How are you?" Chase asked.

"Good. You?" Cameron replied.

Chase sighed. "I've been better," he admitted.

"What's wrong?" Cameron asked on the other end.

Chase debated for a moment if he should tell her about the tense conversation he had with Sophie before she left his apartment. He then quickly decided against it.

"I tore ligaments in my left ankle," Chase told her instead.

"How did THAT happen?" Cameron asked him.

"I slipped on the ice," Chase replied.

"What are you taking for the pain?" Cameron asked him.

"Three guesses," Chase quipped coyly.

"Vicodin? You'd better be careful—" Cameron warned him.

"I'm not House," Chase interrupted her, having no interest in listening to a lecture from her on the dangers of opiate addiction.

There was a moment of silence between them before Chase continued.

"How's New York?" Chase asked.

Cameron sighed slightly. "…Ok," Cameron she finally said.

"What's wrong?" Chase asked her.

"Doing House's job is tougher than I thought," Cameron admitted.

"Having trouble being an a$$?" Chase joked.

"Actually… yeah," Cameron replied.

Chase chuckled slightly. "To your subordinates or the patients?" he asked her.

"Both," Cameron replied.

"Then don't be one," Chase replied simply.

"It's not that easy. At Princeton, people respected me in the ER as department head. I had senority and they knew I had survived a three year fellowship with House," Cameron said.

"And now?" Chase asked her.

"Now… I'm the b1tch who got an apparently highly coveted position purely based on my connections," Cameron said in disgust.

Chase smiled slightly. Cameron was now working at NYU hospital as the Head of their new Department of Diagnostics. Initially, the job had been offered to Chase by their Chief of Medicine at the conference he had attended with Cuddy.

And he had refused the position when it was offered to him.

But Chase had re- offered it to Cameron as a peace offering after they had broken up.

"You know that's not true," Chase told her.

"But that's how they see me," Cameron said.

"Then prove them wrong," Chase told her.

Cameron nodded on the other end, not saying anything, taking silent comfort in Chase's simple answer.

"… was that… Sophie who answered the phone when I called earlier?" Cameron asked tentatively.

This time it was Chase's turn to sigh.

"…Yeah," Chase replied.

"I'm guessing she wasn't too happy when she heard my voice," Cameron said.

Chase glanced at the clock on his cable box once more and then at Sophie's cell phone, which was still resting on his coffee table.

He had no idea where she was, and he had no idea when she'd be coming back.

Or if she was coming back at all.

"You could say that," Chase said sadly.

TBC…


	4. Chapter 4

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After slinking out of Cuddy's office a few moments earlier, House returned to his own office conference room to find Kutner, Thirteen and Foreman waiting for him.

His cheek was still red from Cuddy's slap.

"What happened to YOU?" Thirteen asked him with a sneer.

"I had the hiccups. Cuddy slapped me and they stopped," House replied with a deadpanned expression.

Foreman rolled his eyes and opened the file in front of him. As usual, Foreman had no interest in discussing House's personal life when they had a case.

And based on what he had heard a few moments ago in Cuddy's office, he was pretty sure that Cuddy didn't slap him to stop hiccups.

"Three year old female with recurring ear infections, dizziness and balance problems," Foreman said, ignoring House's remark. "Patient's been on various antibiotics with no effect."

"So refer her to an ENT," House said dismissively, sitting down in one of the chairs at the table.

"She's BEEN to an ENT, who found nothing," Foreman pointed out.

"Could be Labrynthitis," Kutner suggested.

"She doesn't have jerky eye movements," Thirteen pointed out. "Could also be a foreign body in the ear."

"Don't you think we would have seen that when we examined her?" Kutner argued.

"Has she been vaccinated?" House asked.

Foreman and Kutner quickly flipped through the patient's file.

"… No records of vaccinations," Kutner said.

"The parents said that they had to call the pediatrician for her immunization records—" Thirteen began.

"Which means they're LYING and she never GOT immunized. Do a titer test for MMR," House interrupted impatiently.

Thirteen and Kutner nodded as they got up from the table and left the conference room.

But Foreman stayed behind.

"So what incredibly insensitive thing did you say to Cuddy to make her slap you across the face?" Foreman asked, once the other two were out of the room.

House slowly leaned his chin on the handle of his cane.

"Probably the worst thing I ever could have said to her," he mumbled, looking down at the floor.

"Thanks," Foreman said in an incredibly sarcastic tone.

At this, House looked up at Foreman.

"For what? She didn't slap YOU," House shot back.

"The two of you are miserable. Ergo, the rest of US are going to be miserable," Foreman explained.

House snorted and looked back down at the floor, the guilt of what he had said to Cuddy beginning to penetrate deeper.

"I never thought I'd say this, but for once in my life, I'm jealous of Chase," Foreman said before leaving the room. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Around twenty minutes after Chase had hung up the phone with Cameron, he heard the front door to his apartment open and then close.

Chase grabbed his crutches and pushed himself off the couch. He hobbled a few steps towards his door when Sophie strode right past him and into his kitchen.

Chase turned and followed her as quickly as he could on his crutches. He watched her as she opened his fridge to take out a small bottle of water from it.

"How was your run?" Chase asked her.

"Great. I did four miles," Sophie replied, taking a generous sip from the water bottle.

He kept his gaze on her as she placed the water bottle back on the counter.

She then removed her gloves, headband and unzipped her fleece. She refused to look him in the face as she did so, which Chase took as a definite sign that her run did little to cool her temper.

"…Sophie—" Chase began as gently as he could.

"I need a shower," Sophie said briskly.

She then left the kitchen and headed for his linen closet. She took out two towels and then went right to Chase's bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Chase closed his eyes dropping his head slightly, debating whether or not to follow her into the bathroom.

A few moments later, Chase heard the water in his shower begin to run. He took a deep breath, exhaled and hobbled to his bathroom.

Upon entering the bathroom, he could see Sophie's clothes and sneakers lying in a heap in the corner of the room. The shower curtain was completely closed, blocking his view of her, and the bathroom had already began to steam up.

"Are we gonna talk about this?" Chase asked her over the sound of the running water.

"What's there to talk about?" Sophie said lightly from behind the shower curtain.

"If something's bothering you—" Chase began.

"There's nothing bothering me," Sophie interrupted in the same light tone.

"Yeah, which is why you had no intention of waking me before you left, didn't take your cell phone with you so I couldn't reach you, and did an activity that I couldn't possibly participate in," Chase said flatly, tilting his head slightly.

Sophie didn't respond.

"Please talk to me," Chase pleaded.

At this, Sophie stuck her head out of the shower. She had taken her long wavy hair out of the ponytail and it was drenched about her shoulders.

Her eyes were full of hurt and her face was wet.

Chase couldn't tell whether or not she had been crying or whether her face was wet from the shower.

"Imagine how you would feel if you had spent a MONTH trying to hustle cards to raise enough cash to pay for a plane ticket to New Jersey to see the person YOU love and still have enough money to buy them a nice Christmas present," Sophie said, her tone matching the hurtful look in her eyes.

Chase pursed his lips together as his eyes slowly looked down at the tile floor of his bathroom.

"And then you find out that the person you love has been keeping in touch with their ex who, by the way, they cheated on with their boss at a medical conference," Sophie continued, her voice becoming acerbic at the end of her sentence.

"You'd feel like an IDIOT," she said bluntly, as she snapped the shower curtain closed again.

Chase raked his fingers through his hair, feeling the guilt envelop him. He had no idea that Sophie had gone through all that trouble to buy him a gift and pay her way home.

"You're right. I would," Chase admitted remorsefully.

"…But I'd also give them the chance to explain," he added in the same gentle tone.

Once again, Sophie didn't say anything. Chase took that as an invitation to start talking.

"I haven't spoken to Allison since she moved to New York. I just wanted to see how she was doing in her new job," Chase said sincerely.

"If you want, I'll never call her again," Chase added.

Sophie opened the shower curtain slightly again, her eyes downcast.

"That's ridiculous. I would never ask you to do that," Sophie muttered.

A lopsided closed- lipped smile formed on Chase's face. He reached up and softly brushed away some of the water from the shower off her cheek.

"I just… wanna know what I'm getting into," Sophie said.

"What do you mean?" he asked her, tracing her cheek with his fingertips.

"…We've only been together for a little over a month... and if you left things unresolved with her—" Sophie began.

"There's nothing left to resolve between me and Allison. We're just friends," Chase asserted.

"And why didn't you tell me that you needed money to travel? I would have paid for your plane ticket," Chase told her.

"I'm not going to let you pay for me to come visit you," Sophie told him firmly.

"Are you always this stubborn?" Chase asked her, the lopsided grin returning to his features.

The corners of Sophie's lips turned up at Chase's adorable expression.

"Usually," she admitted.

"Is it a bad thing if I get turned on by it?" Chase asked her.

"No," she said, her tiny smile growing.

Chase's grin morphed into a dazzling smile as he leaned forwards on his crutches to kiss her. He brushed her lips with his, slowly and tenderly. Sophie moaned lightly into his mouth as his kiss swept away the insecurities she had felt earlier.

"I overreacted, didn't I?" she asked as their lips finally parted.

"Just a little," Chase said with a grin.

Sophie looked Chase up and down and smirked at his posture. His left leg was bent slightly as he was leaning on his crutches and his right leg for balance.

"So are you gonna come in this shower with me so I can make it up to you, or are you just gonna stand there on one good leg?" she quipped.

Chase grinned broadly, quickly dropped his crutches and somehow managed to strip of his clothes without falling.

Sophie took his hand and helped him into the shower, moving him backwards into the stream of the water.

She took the bar of soap off his shower caddy and lathered her hands. She then lovingly caressed his chest and shoulders with soap, making Chase close his eyes in bliss.

"You have no idea how good that feels," Chase sighed.

"Maybe you could show me in a little while," she replied as she continued to wash him.

Chase opened his eyes and looked down at her slim, yet curvaceous naked body, taking in her features longingly as she continued to wash him.

But before he acted on his growing arousal, he needed to ask her a question.

"You really got jealous, didn't you?" Chase asked her with a raised eyebrow.

Sophie looked up at him and smiled sheepishly.

"… yeah," Sophie admitted as she ran her soapy hands down his muscular arms and torso.

"I kinda liked it," Chase admitted.

"Yeah, why's that?" Sophie asked.

Chase placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her lips ever so gently.

"Because it means you really love me," Chase said softly, nuzzling his nose with hers.

He then kissed her again, deeply, exploring her mouth with his tongue. Sophie could feel her knees grow weak from under her as his passionate kiss penetrated right through her. She stood on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her wet, naked frame against his.

"Are you sure you're ok in here with your leg?" Sophie managed to say against his lips.

Chase thought of the remaining ten Vicodin in his prescription bottle in the living room.

And the script for twelve more that he just asked Cameron to write for him during their phone conversation that would be arriving in the mail tomorrow.

"I'm fine," Chase assured her as he held her close to him and reached up to cup her breast. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A while later, Wilson opened the door to Cuddy's office, his head immersed in a patient's file.

"You got a minute?" Wilson asked, still reading the file.

"Could you come back later?" Cuddy said in a soft voice.

Wilson looked up from the file and saw Cuddy sitting on one of the couches in her office with one leg crossed over the other. She was holding a crumpled up tissue in her hand and was wiping her nose with it.

Wilson could see that her nose was red and that her eyes were slightly swollen, red as well.

"What did House do now?" Wilson asked her with a sympathetic expression.

Despite her mood, a curt laugh escaped Cuddy's lips.

"How did you know it was House?" she asked him.

"Well who else has uncanny ability to make you cry in your office?" Wilson asked her with a slight smile as he sat down next to her on the couch.

Cuddy wiped her nose one more time.

"He told me that I have about 30 seconds left to become a mother and that he's basically my last chance to make it happen," Cuddy replied flatly.

Wilson stared at her in complete shock.

"… That's… AWFUL! Even for him—" Wilson began angrily.

"He's RIGHT," Cuddy interrupted him.

Wilson was stunned at her statement. Cuddy slumped her shoulders slightly as she seemed to sink back onto the couch cushion.

"I tried to get pregnant three times and failed each time, and I'm not getting any younger," Cuddy said in disgust.

"That doesn't mean it's impossible," Wilson argued.

"I even tried to adopt a baby, and I failed at that too. If that's not a sign, then I don't know what is," Cuddy pointed out.

"A sign of WHAT? That you've had some bad luck and that you're like millions of other women out there who are having trouble conceiving?" Wilson said, gesticulating his arms as he spoke.

Cuddy shrugged her shoulders slightly, but didn't answer him.

"House is a JERK," Wilson said.

"But he LOVES you," Wilson asserted.

"He's got a funny way of showing it," Cuddy muttered.

"I think that in his screwed up way, he WAS showing it," Wilson stated.

Cuddy stared at him as if he had gone insane.

"I think… he was saying that there's no reason to wait any longer to start your life together,"

"I don't understand," Cuddy said, shaking her head.

Wilson shifted his position on the couch to face her better.

"You and House have known each other for a long time. You've seen each other at your best and at your worst," Wilson explained.

"In a lot of ways… you two are closer than some people who've been married for years," Wilson added.

Cuddy had to smile at Wilson's observation. As she thought back on their 'relationship' and all that they had been through together over time, she had to admit that he was right.

And that she wouldn't have had it any other way.

"So what are you saying?" Cuddy asked him, a glimmer of hope evident in her voice.

"I'm saying that House wouldn't have even MENTIONED having a baby with you if he didn't want one either," Wilson said sincerely.

Cuddy then stood up from the couch and tossed the crumpled up tissue onto the table in front of her. Feeling her confidence return, she smoothed out her charcoal pencil skirt and looked Wilson straight into his deep brown eyes.

"There's only one way to find out," Cuddy stated.

TBC…


	5. Chapter 5

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After leaving her own office only a few minutes earlier, Cuddy strode down the hallways towards House's office with determination, her heels clicking against the linoleum floor.

At the same time, House was in his office conference room, facing the white board, tapping his black marker idly against his lips, looking over at the symptoms of their current patient, a three year old girl with chronic ear infections.

"Titer test showed normal levels for MMR antibodies," Foreman said.

"Which means we're back to square one," House mused, never turning around to face Foreman and Kutner.

"Maybe she's a candidate for tympanostomy tubes," Kutner suggested.

"The ENT would have seen fluid buildup in her ears," Foreman pointed out.

Just then, Cuddy pushed open the glass door and entered House's conference room, causing Foreman and Kutner to turn in her direction.

"Do you want to have a baby with me?" Cuddy asked House bluntly in front of Kutner and Foreman.

Kutner and Foreman exchanged extremely stunned glances as House turned to face Cuddy rather slowly.

"I'm kinda busy right now… but I might have some time later. Kutner, check my calendar," House said jauntily.

Cuddy, refusing to back down, took a few steps towards House, closing the distance between them, locking her eyes on his.

"One answer. Yes or No," Cuddy stated.

Foreman looked down slightly as he got up from the conference table, pulling the sleeve of Kutner's lab coat.

"…Let's… give them their privacy," Foreman said.

"Are you kidding? I don't want to miss this!" Kutner exclaimed.

"Let's GO," Foreman said, staring down at him.

Kutner shrugged and followed Foreman out of the conference room, leaving House and Cuddy alone.

"Was that good for you? Because I think I got a chubby ," House said.

A tiny, sarcastic chuckle escaped Cuddy's lips. She placed her hand on her hips and shifted her weight slightly to one side.

"Doesn't feel so great when the shoe is on the other foot, does it?" Cuddy remarked.

"If you came in here just to humiliate me, you should know that it takes a lot more than propositioning me to have sex—" House began.

"I didn't come in here to humiliate you," Cuddy interrupted.

"So… then you're NOT propositioning me to have sex?" House asked.

Cuddy could tell by the way his bright blue eyes were sparkling that he was thoroughly enjoying trying to get a rise out of her.

But it wasn't going to work this time.

"I'm asking you if you were serious about what you said the other night," Cuddy said evenly, never breaking her gaze with his.

At this, House looked away from her penetrating eyes and glanced down at the floor.

"…And what if I was?" House asked, almost inaudibly.

Cuddy placed a hand on the front of his shoulder, willing herself not to get her hopes up at his words.

"Then we'll talk about it," Cuddy said gently.

House then looked back up at her, tracing the lovely features of his face with his eyes.

"And what if I WASN'T?" House asked.

"Then we'll talk about that, too," Cuddy replied, just as gently.

House nodded and looked away from her once more and slowly limped over to the window. He absentmindedly looked out into the parking lot as his mind was racing.

Cuddy walked towards him once again, now only a few inches behind him.

"I KNOW what I want…" she began.

"But that's not enough," she continued.

House didn't turn around to face her.

She placed her hand softly on his back, unsure if that would make him turn around.

"If this is going to work between us, then you're going to have to do the hardest thing you've ever done in your life," Cuddy said.

Upon hearing this, House turned around to face her.

"Pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time?" he joked.

Cuddy laughed softly once more as she reached up to caress the scruff on his cheek that she loved so much.

"You're going to have to let your guard down and tell me what's in your heart," Cuddy said.

House allowed the sweetness of her voice and her words to wash over him. He paused thoughtfully, choosing his words carefully before he spoke.

"Assuming I actually DO get you pregnant…" House began.

Cuddy arched her eyebrow in intrigue.

"You're gonna be exhausted, emotional… you're gonna gain 30 pounds…" House continued.

A tiny smile crept across Cuddy's face.

"You'll have backaches… you'll get stretch marks," House said.

Cuddy bit her lower lip as her tiny smile began to grow.

House then wrapped his hand around her hip, pulling her closer to him.

"And then assuming you carry to full term… you're gonna have to give birth…" House said, in a low and intimate voice.

Cuddy nodded, the smile never leaving her face.

"And then the sleepless nights… the sore nipples…" House went on.

Before he could continue, Cuddy grabbed the lapel of his black sport jacket and pulled him in close for a deep and passionate kiss. She explored his mouth with her tongue, longingly, and searchingly. House wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her as close as he could to him.

When House finally broke off their kiss to come up for air, Cuddy smirked playfully.

"So is that a 'yes?'" Cuddy asked him.

House nodded with a soft smile.

"So you wanna get one of those ovulation monitors or you just want to have sex until I knock you up?" House asked her.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

That night, at Cuddy's home, House and Cuddy were in Cuddy's bed. She had changed into an ivory sating teddy with matching tap pants. Her legs were underneath her comforter as she was reading "Outlander," the book that House had bought her for Christmas.

House was sitting in the bed next to her, wearing a grey t- shirt and his usual plaid pajama pants, thoroughly engrossed in the second copy of the "Kama Sutra" that he had purchased.

"You know that this is the first book I've ever read where I don't have the urge to skip right to the end?" House told her, never taking his eyes off the book.

"I'm happy for you," Cuddy replied sarcastically.

He glanced over at her, feeling the front of his pajama pants begin to swell.

He then put down the book, rolled over onto his elbow to face her, reached underneath the blanket and parted her thighs gently, caressing the soft skin on the inside of her upper thigh.

"What are you doing?" Cuddy asked him, desperately trying to keep the smile off her face.

"Showing you what I just learned on page 43," House replied.

"We're not having sex tonight," Cuddy said, not taking her eyes off her book.

House stopped caressing her thigh and stared at her blankly.

"We're NOT?" House asked her.

Cuddy flapped the page in her book and placed it on the bed next to her.

"We're not going to waste your sperm," Cuddy said matter- of- factly.

"I CAN make more, you know," House pointed out.

"But I only ovulate for one or two days a month…" Cuddy said.

"And tonight is not one of those days," she added, picking up her book again.

House couldn't believe what she had just told him.

He continued to stare at her in amazement.

"So… you're saying that we're only gonna have sex once a month," House clarified.

"That's right," Cuddy replied simply, picking up her book again.

House's lips parted slightly as Cuddy went back to her reading.

Not knowing what else to do, House picked up the "Kama Sutra" again.

After a few moments of silence between them, Cuddy took her eyes off her book and shot a sidelong glance at House.

"Had you going, didn't I?" Cuddy asked him.

House snapped his head around to face her and saw the evil grin that she was now wearing on her face.

He then chortled, threw his own book on the floor and climbed on top of her.

"You are an evil… cunning woman," House said as she spread her legs for him to nestle against her.

"I've been planning on doing that all day to you," Cuddy said with glee as she wrapped her legs around his back.

House reached up to cup her firm, supple breast over the fabric of her teddy with one hand and reached down to palm her a$$ with the other.

"Wanna see what I've been planning on doing all day?" House asked her sexily. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The next morning at around 9 AM, Chase opened his eyes in his bed.

He was lying flat on his back, his ankle still propped up on the pillow that Sophie had fixed for him the night before.

He had slept through the night without any pain, and he didn't feel any pain this morning.

Instinctively, he reached over to the other side of the bed for Sophie, but she wasn't there.

He sighed and slowly sat up in the bed, realizing that since her side of the bed was rather cool, that she must have been up for quite a while.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his crutches, which were propped up against the night- stand. Pulling himself up to a standing position, he gingerly tried to place his left ankle on the ground.

But he could tell that he wasn't going to be able to put any weight on it.

Using his crutches, he hobbled out of his bedroom and towards the kitchen, the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafting over him.

Sophie was sitting at his kitchen table, reading from an infectious disease textbook that she had found on Chase's bookshelf.

He smiled as saw how engrossed she was in the book and how cute she looked in her jeans, a black lacy cotton camisole, and one of his grey hooded sweatshirts.

"Doing a little light reading this morning?" Chase asked her.

Sophie looked up at him and smiled happily. She got up from the table and kissed his lips lovingly.

"Hey sleepy head," she said to him affectionately, tousling his mussed hair.

"How long have you been up?" Chase asked her.

"A couple hours," she replied.

"That's too bad. I was looking forward to waking up with you," Chase said, nuzzling her nose with his.

Sophie closed her eyes as she enjoyed the feeling of his soft touch.

"How's your ankle?" she asked him.

"A little better, actually. The swelling went down," he replied.

Sophie's eyes brightened. "That's wonderful!" Sophie said.

"Let's not get excited just yet. It's gonna take a good three weeks before I'm fully healed," he told her.

Sophie nodded. "Then come sit down and I'll pour you a cup of coffee," she said.

Chase smiled. "Why are you so good to me?" he asked her.

"Because you're hot and you have great hair," she joked.

Chase laughed and made his way to the kitchen table as Sophie went to the counter to retrieve a mug from the cupboard and the coffee pot.

"Oh, by the way, you got a package this morning from a 'Dr. Cameron,'" Sophie said as she poured Chase's coffee. "It's on the coffee table in the living room."

Chase froze for a moment, realizing that Sophie had no idea that Allison's last name was 'Cameron.'

As Sophie placed Chase's coffee mug in front of him and sat down next to him, he decided that now wasn't the time to tell her.

TBC…


	6. Chapter 6

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That early afternoon, Chase and Sophie were sitting across from each other in a booth at the Main Street Bistro and Bar, a restaurant close to the hospital, having lunch.

Chase had his ankle propped up on Sophie's side of the booth and his crutches tucked underneath the table.

"The Grilled Portobello sandwich looks good," Sophie commented as she perused the menu through her rectangular- framed glasses.

But Chase didn't answer her.

He was too busy staring at her and smiling.

She was wearing what she had put on earlier that morning—a pair of dark jeans, a black lacy tank top, and his grey hooded sweatshirt over it.

"You look hot in my clothes," Chase told her with a grin.

Sophie looked up slightly from her menu and smiled back at him.

"Then I hope you don't mind if I take this back to school with me," she replied, placing her menu down on the table top.

Chase's smile faded slightly at her comment.

"I can't believe you're already going back to Boston in a few days," Chase said.

"I know," Sophie said. "But I'm here for New Years. At least we'll be able to see the Twilight Zone marathon together," she added optimistically.

Chase felt little solace at her attempt to make him feel better.

He and Sophie had only been together for a little over a month, and due to their schedules, they had only managed to see each other a few times since they started dating.

And Chase had realized very quickly that sleeping alone sucked.

Chase reached across the table and took her hand in his, caressing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"I don't want you to go back," Chase told her sadly.

Sophie gazed at him lovingly and placed her other hand on top of his.

"I don't want to go back either. But classes start the day after New Years. I don't have a choice," she told him gently.

"I wish you went to school here. Then we could see each other all the time," Chase told her.

"And then I'd fail out of med school," she replied with a grin.

"I'd help you study," Chase offered.

"Yeah, I'm sure you would," Sophie said sarcastically with a laugh.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Chase asked with mock indignity.

"It means that I'd be studying and then you'd find some way for us to end up naked with my books," she told him, fighting back a grin.

"And what's wrong with that?" Chase said innocently as he brought her hand closer to his lips.

Sophie felt an incredibly wonderful tingle pass right between her legs as Chase trailed tiny kisses down the back of her hand to the inside of her wrist.

For some reason, Chase had a slight fascination with that part of her body, kissing it and nibbling on it every chance he had.

And she didn't mind at all.

"I hope Cuddy doesn't decide to go out for lunch today," Sophie said, closing her legs slightly underneath the tabletop as the tingle she was experiencing became more intense.

"Why's that?" Chase asked as he began to taste the inside of her wrist with his tongue, grazing his teeth suggestively along her soft, sensitive skin.

"Because you're supposed to be taking a medical leave because of your leg, not taking your girlfriend out on a date," Sophie reminded him, her breath hitching lightly as she spoke.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her," Chase murmured against her wrist.

Sophie's breath hitched once more as he started to suck ever so gently on the inside of her wrist. Hearing her response, he held her wrist with one hand as he reached under the table and began to stroke her thigh with his other hand.

She then reluctantly took her hand away and moved her leg out of his reach.

"I'm going to wash my hands," she told him softly, willing herself to calm down.

"You're no fun," Chase pouted.

"I'll be back in a minute," she promised.

"I'll just stay here and continue to think nasty thoughts about you naked with your books," he quipped.

Sophie reached across the table and kissed him. She then slid across cushion to get out of the booth.

But as she did, she accidentally pushed Chase's leather jacket off the booth and onto the floor of the restaurant.

"I'm sorry. I'll get it," Sophie said.

As she picked up his jacket from the floor, a small, orange prescription bottle with a white cap fell out of his jacket pocket.

"Whoops. You don't want to lose these," Sophie said, recognizing Chase's Vicodin.

Chase smiled at her good- naturedly as he held his hand out to take his pills from her.

But before she handed it back to him, her eye happened to catch the type printed on the bottle, the smile disappearing from her face.

"Honey, isn't your orthopedist Dr. Nathan?" Sophie asked, as she stared at the label on the bottle.

"Yeah, why?" Chase asked her.

"Then why does it say on here that the prescribing doctor is 'Allison Cameron?'" she asked.

Chase stiffened. He straightened up and inhaled slightly as she continued to read the bottle.

"And this says 'hydrocodone/ acetominophen.' Nathan prescribed you the brand name," she pointed out.

Sophie then looked up from the bottle and saw that Chase was averting his eyes from her, sporting a rather guilty look on his face.

"…Is this what was in that package you got this morning?" Sophie asked him.

Chase exhaled the breath he was holding in and finally met her eyes with his.

"I'm sorry. I should have told you," Chase began apologetically.

"Allison's last name is 'Cameron,'" Chase confessed.

Sophie started down at him blankly.

"…I just know that you got upset when she called the other day, and I didn't want to upset you any further—" Chase continued.

"You think that I really care about the fact that you didn't tell me Allison's last name?" Sophie asked him, interrupting his explanation as she furrowed her brow.

"Then… what are you concerned about?" Chase asked in confusion.

A curt laugh escaped Sophie's lips as she shook her head incredulously at Chase's casual attitude.

"I'm concerned that you had Allison prescribe you a second script for an addictive narcotic," she said slowly.

Upon hearing this, Chase laughed in a slightly condescending manner.

"Sweetie, you don't understand," Chase told her, shaking his head dismissively.

"Then explain it to me," Sophie replied lightly.

Chase gave her a lopsided grin and motioned with his hand for her to sit back down in the booth, which she did.

"Did you already take all twelve pills that Nathan prescribed you?" Sophie asked him in a concerned voice.

"No. I've only taken three," Chase replied, keeping the calm smile on his face.

"Then why do you need twelve more?" Sophie asked him.

"Because I'm in pain, sweetie," Chase said, still smiling.

When Sophie continued to stare at him with concern and confusion, Chase tsked and took her hand once more.

"Twelve Vicodin isn't gonna be enough to get me through the time it'll take my ankle to heal," Chase explained to her.

"But you said this morning that you were feeling less pain and that the swelling went down," Sophie reminded him.

"That's because I had my ankle propped up on a pillow all night," Chase reminded her in turn.

Sophie kept staring at him, waiting for further explanation.

"Sophie, I've known Nathan for years. Trust me when I tell you that he's very conservative. He always under- medicates," Chase reassured her.

Sophie pressed her lips together, the worry growing in her eyes. Chase smiled at her gently.

"I know what you're worried about… and it's very sweet…" Chase began, staring right into her eyes.

"But I'm a doctor, too, and I know what I'm doing…" he continued.

"And I'm not going to become an addict from twelve more pills," he finished in the same reassuring tone.

"I might not even need them," he added. "But I should have extra, just in case."

Sophie searched his face and finally nodded.

"Ok," she said, forcing herself to return his smile.

"You want me to order that grilled Portobello sandwich for you while you're washing your hands?" he asked her.

Sophie nodded once more, gave him back his bottle of pills and got up from the booth.

As she headed to the back of the restaurant, she took her cell phone out of her jeans pocket once she was out of Chase's view.

She scrolled down her contact list in her phone to Wilson's number.

But before she pressed the button to call her brother to ask him about the signs of drug addiction, she changed her mind and closed her phone firmly, shaking her head.

"Robbie knows what he's doing," Sophie said aloud.

Convinced that she made the right decision, she entered the ladies room, not giving her conversation with Chase a second thought. 

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At around the same time, Cameron was standing in front of her brand new white dry erase board in her brand new office at NYU teaching hospital.

She had just dismissed her team to run tests on their new patient, a fifteen year old that was experiencing night terrors and myoclonic jerks while he was awake.

As she confidently wrote 'MUTATED MEASLES VIRUS,' in capital letters underneath the short list of symptoms, her new boss, Dr. Neil Stern walked through the double glass doors and into the conference room.

"How's it going?" Stern asked her.

Cameron spun around and saw Stern standing behind her. She gave him a friendly smile.

"Good," she replied.

"I was reviewing the notes on your last case. You did an excellent job," he told her, taking a few steps closer to her.

"Thank you," Cameron replied.

"House trained you well," Stern said.

Cameron couldn't help but smile fondly at this comment.

"I learned a lot from him," she said, not bothering to get into any specifics.

As Cameron turned back to the white board in front of her, Stern made his way over to her desk, which was located in one corner of the room.

He noticed that she had placed several framed pictures on her desk. He picked up a brushed silver frame and smiled at the picture displayed in it—Cameron was standing in front of a large Christmas tree, her arms wrapped around two handsome young men, one blonde and the other African American.

"So which one of these lucky guys is your boyfriend?" Stern asked her.

Cameron looked away from the white board and went over to her desk to see which picture her boss was looking at.

When she saw that he was holding the picture of her, Chase and Foreman at last year's Christmas Party at Princeton Plainsboro, she smiled wistfully.

"Neither. I used to work with them at Princeton Plainsboro," she explained.

Stern arched his eyebrow and glanced at her quizzically. Cameron returned his glance with a sheepish one of her own.

"The blond guy used to be my boyfriend," she admitted. "But we broke up,"

"And you still have his picture on your desk? All the pictures of my ex- wife got burned," Stern said.

Cameron arched her eyebrow at Stern's comment.

"Accidentally," Stern added with a coy grin.

Cameron laughed. "We're still good friends," she said.

Stern nodded. "So things are going well with your team?" he asked her.

"Very well. They're all excellent doctors. You picked a great group of people—" she began.

"You can say it. They're all assholes," Stern interrupted her flatly.

Cameron's jaw dropped slightly as she stared at him in shock.

"Hey. I agree with you. They're probably the best practitioners in this hospital," Stern said, holding his hand up in front of him slightly.

"But being the best often includes thinking that you can do any job better than someone else," he said.

"I don't think they're too happy with me being their boss," Cameron admitted with a slight shrug.

"That makes sense," Stern said.

"Why's that?" Cameron asked him.

Stern placed the picture frame back on her desk and met her eyes with his.

"Because when I first created this department, I was choosing between the three of them for your position. And when I couldn't decide on which one of them to pick, I decided to hire someone out of the hospital instead," he revealed to her.

"…I don't want to cause any problems—" Cameron began.

"You're not," Stern assured her.

Cameron looked into his bright hazel eyes and saw that he was being sincere.

"So have you had the chance to see much of the city since you've moved here?" he asked her, smoothly changing the subject.

"Not really. I've been so busy with work and moving into my place that I haven't gotten the chance to do any real sightseeing," she told him.

"Have you seen any shows yet?" he continued.

"Nope," Cameron said.

"Would you like to?" he asked.

The surprised look on her face returned as Stern reached into the inside pocket of his suit, producing an envelope.

"One of the hospital donors just gave me two tickets to see La Boheme at Lincoln Center this Saturday night," he told her, opening the envelope and showing her the tickets.

Cameron, caught completely off- guard, continued to stare at him.

"We could go to dinner first. Josephina's restaurant is right across the street," Stern suggested.

Cameron smiled in a friendly, unsure manner.

"I'm very flattered… but isn't it kind of unethical for me to go on a date with my boss?" she asked tentatively.

"Then we won't call it a date. I'll bring a copy of the hospital budget with me in my tux," he said playfully.

Cameron laughed. She had to admit that Stern was quite charming.

And she also had to admit that an elegant night out in Manhattan for dinner and the opera sounded quite appealing.

She looked down at the tickets and then back up to his handsome face, admiring his hazel eyes and his dark hair with slight grey around his temples.

"So... should I meet you there or do you want to pick me up at my place?" she asked him with a grin.

TBC…


	7. Chapter 7

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS!!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.  
**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

**************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 7: Please read and comment.**

**SATURDAY EVENING…. NEW YEAR'S EVE.**

Cameron and Stern were sitting at a private and intimate table at Josephina's, an upscale eclectic restaurant in Manhattan.

Cameron was absolutely overwhelmed when she and Dr. Stern had arrived at the restaurant. He had described it as being located on Broadway between 63rd and 64th street .

She never expected to be eating dinner overlooking the fountains of Lincoln Center.

That night, the city was packed with tourists and residents who were more than excited to ring in the New Year. Cabs rushed around trying to pick up as many fares as they could and there were lines around the block for almost every restaurant and bar.

But when Neil Stern and Allison Cameron arrived at Josephina that evening, he confidently glided her past the throngs of people waiting by the front door and the bar and walked right to the hostess station. After murmuring something in the hostess's ear, she smiled at him and led both of them to an table with a 'RESERVED' placard on it, where a bottle Pinot Grigot was already waiting for them, chilling in a silver bucket of ice.

Stern gallantly held Cameron's chair out for her, as she slightly lifted the hem of her black strapless full- length satin dress to sit down.

Stern nonchalantly placed his hand on his tuxedo jacket as he sat down in his own chair at their table.

Cameron looked around the restaurant. The walls were decorated with lush painted landscapes and rich colors. A vintage portrait of a young woman elegantly hung over the bar, which Cameron noted was only filled with top shelf liquors.

Cameron looked up from her menu at Stern, unable to stop herself from admiring how handsome he looked in his tuxedo.

Taller than six feet, with almost black closely cropped hair, with distinguishing grey around his temples and hazel eyes, Stern was in early fifties, but looked closer to being in his early forties.

"How did you manage to get reservations tonight?" Cameron asked him, leaning slightly across the table.

Stern looked up from his menu and flashed her a dazzling smile, causing a tiny dimple to form on his right cheek.

"It helps when the owner is one of my patients," Stern replied with a wink.

Cameron smiled politely in return. For a moment, she couldn't help but think that if a few years ago, she had heard that someone had used connections in order to push ahead of other people, even for something as simple as getting a table in a restaurant, that it would have been unfair.

But tonight, as she sat at the table, feeling incredibly glamorous in her dress, her matching satin sling back heels, her hair swept off her neck in a loose, elegant up- do, and a pair of tiny diamond earrings, she didn't feel that way at all.

After the waiter had opened the wine for them and had told them the specials for the evening, Cameron continued to stare at Stern contemplatively.

Ever since their encounter in her office the other day, a question had been nagging her, and tonight she was determined to find out the answer.

"Can I ask you something?" Cameron asked Stern.

"Of course," Stern said cordially with a soft smile.

Cameron paused momentarily, feeling a slight warmth go through her at his smile.

"…Was I the first candidate that you had in mind for this position?" Cameron asked him.

Stern tilted his head slightly. "I'm feeling a sense of Deja- Vu. Didn't we already have this conversation?" he asked her with a lopsided grin. "I told you the other day that I had considered hiring one of your subordinates."

"No… I mean… another doctor outside the hospital," Cameron explained.

Stern gazed at her with slight confusion.

"Another one of House's fellows…" Cameron prompted him, trailing off.

"Oh, you mean Dr. Chase," Stern said with realization.

"Yeah, I considered him for about all of three seconds," he added dismissively.

Cameron arched her eyebrow in surprise. The way Chase had explained it to her, Dr. Stern had been rather eager to hire him for his new diagnostic department.

Stern saw the bewilderment in her face and leaned forward slightly to answer her.

"I was at the A.M.A. conference in October, and Dr. Cuddy was presenting a case with Dr. Chase there on pregnancy mirror syndrome," Stern began.

Cameron nodded as she remembered that case.

"Well…Dr. Cuddy and I have always had a love- hate relationship," Stern said coyly.

At this, Cameron's eyebrow arched even higher.

"Really," Cameron remarked with intrigue.

"You don't want the details," Stern said, waving his hand, his tone dismissive once again.

Cameron actually desperately wanted the details, but she wasn't about to press him.

"Anyway, so when I saw that she was presenting with one of House's fellows, I figured it would be a good time to stick it to her by offering Dr. Chase the position right in front of her," Stern continued.

Cameron nodded her head and smiled knowingly.

"So you KNEW who Chase was when you saw that picture of him on my desk," Cameron clarified.

"I sure did," Stern said, returning her smile with one of his own.

"Then why did you pretend that you didn't?" Cameron asked him.

"I didn't pretend that I didn't know him…" Stern began.

"I just asked you if he was your BOYFRIEND," he continued, his eyes penetrating hers.

Cameron felt her heart beat quicken at the disarming way he was looking at her.

"I had to make sure the odds were in my favor that you'd actually say 'yes' to my invitation tonight," Stern said as he picked up his wine glass to take a sip.

As Cameron picked up her own glass and placed it to her ruby red lips, she decided against telling him that the odds had always been in his favor of saying 'yes' to his invitation. 

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At around the same time, Chase and Sophie were snuggled up underneath Chase's blanket in his bed, watching the annual 'Twilight Zone,' marathon on the Sci- Fi network. Sophie was facing away from him and Chase had the front of his body up against her back.

Chase caressed Sophie's abdomen underneath her soft cotton white camisole as she focused intently on the final scene in 'Time Enough At Last.'

He could feel Sophie cringe against him when Burgess Meredith's character, a hapless banker whose only joy in life was reading, and the only survivor of a nuclear blast, looked around forlornly at the stacks of books he had piled on the steps of the local library after his glasses slipped off his nose and fell to the ground, breaking into pieces, making it impossible for him to read.

Chase chuckled, guessing that she must have seen the episode hundreds of times.

"That gets me every time I see that," she said, as if reading Chase's thoughts.

"I love how you get into these old shows," Chase remarked, gently caressing her cheek with the scruff on his chin from behind her, knowing that she loved it when he did that to her.

"Rod Serling was way ahead of his time," Sophie said, closing her eyes at the feeling of his soft stubble against her.

"Which one's next?" Chase asked her, reaching higher underneath her camisole, cupping her breast and grazing her nipple with his thumb.   "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street," Sophie said, her breath catching in her throat.

They had both changed out of the clothes they had worn that day and into pajamas early in the evening, and she could feel his arousal in his pajama pants against her behind.

"Do you like that episode?" Chase murmured against her neck as he continued to caress her breast.

"It's my favorite one," Sophie managed to say.

"Too bad you're gonna miss it," Chase said, grinning against her skin.

Sophie turned around with a smirk on her face.

"I own all the DVDs anyway," she replied.

He pulled her close to her, engulfing her lips in a passionate kiss, exploring her mouth sensually with his own soft, full lips and tongue.

She carefully wrapped one of her legs around his hip, being careful not to touch his ankle.

Suddenly, Chase broke off their kiss.

"Hang on a minute," Chase told her, reaching behind him and over to his night- stand.

"You're getting the condoms already?" Sophie teased him. "That was quick."

But Sophie's smile disappeared quickly when she saw that he had not reached for condoms, but for his bottle of Vicodin.

He hadn't opened up Cameron's prescription yet, but she could see that over the last six days since he had torn ligaments in his left ankle, that he was already down to only three pills left in Dr. Nathan's prescription.

She had noticed that the swelling in his ankle was down considerably.

But what had concerned her the most is that he was about to take another Vicodin without even mentioning that he was in any pain.

"...How's the pain?" Sophie asked carefully.

Chase popped open the top of the bottle with one thumb, a trick he had mastered over the last few days.

"It hurts," Chase replied casually with a shrug.

Sophie placed her hand on top of his, stopping him from taking one of the pills out, locking her eyes with his.

"Scale of one to ten," Sophie said gently, but firmly at the same time.

Chase met her gaze and saw the intensity in her eyes. He exhaled slightly.

"Four," Chase admitted truthfully.

Sophie nodded, pausing before continuing.

"Maybe… you could get by with just the Motrin tonight," Sophie suggested.

Chase looked down at the bottle in his hand and then back at her. He gave her a soft smile when he could see her love for him reflected in her eyes.

"…Maybe I could," he said.

Sophie smiled in return and kissed him tenderly, caressing his face.

"You know what else could help if you're feeling pain?" Sophie said against his lips.

"What?" Chase asked, brushing the hair away from her face.

"A full body massage," Sophie told him.

"You'd do that for me?" Chase asked her.

"I'd do ANYTHING for you," Sophie replied simply.

Chase felt a rush of emotion rush through him at her words. He held her face with his hands delicately as he became lost in her dark eyes.

"What did I do to deserve you?" Chase asked, barely above a whisper.

Sophie wanted to tell him so deeply that he had touched her heart in a way that no one had ever done before. That she had never been in love with anyone in her life until she met him.

But instead, she kissed his lips lightly.

"You filled my apartment with flowers," Sophie reminded him as she positioned herself behind him to massage his bare shoulders.

Chase sighed happily as he reached over to his night- stand for the bottle of Motrin.

Sophie grinned from behind him as he took two of them and swallowed them dry.

"You think that Cuddy told House that we're coming over for brunch tomorrow?" Chase asked her. 

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At around the same time, House and Cuddy were sitting on Cuddy's couch in her home, watching the Sci- Fi channels 'Twilight Zone' marathon. They had decided to stay in for the night and order a pizza.

House had polished off his third slice of pepperoni and sausage, refusing to touch the other half of the pizza they had ordered, which was topped with fresh vegetables, which Cuddy insisted on ordering.

"You're gonna regret eating so much," Cuddy said from her position on the couch next to him.

House wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him. She comfortably nuzzled against his shoulder, enjoying the feel of him holding her.

"Feel like ringing in the new year with a bang?" House asked her, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Not with a line like that," Cuddy replied, without missing a beat.

"Oh, by the way. I invited Chase, Sophie and Wilson for brunch tomorrow," she added.

House, taken aback, stared down at her.

"You're kidding me, right?" House demanded.

"Nope," Cuddy replied.

"We already had one party this year. Why do we have to have another one?" House asked her in annoyance.

"Because it's a NEW year and I like entertaining and I like seeing other people besides you once in a while," Cuddy quipped.

"You know, words can hurt," House said mockingly.

Cuddy laughed and re- positioned herself on the couch, lying her head down in his lap.

House glanced down at her, thinking that he'd be incredibly stupid to waste an opportunity like this one.

"Well if you're forcing me to socialize, then I think it's only fair that I get something in return," House said.

Cuddy pretended to think it over for a moment.

"That seems fair," Cuddy said.

House's eyes widened considerably.

"Seriously?" House asked in complete surprise.

Cuddy slowly got off the couch and straddled his lap. She peeled his black t- shirt over his head, tossing it to the ground.

She then took his hands and placed them on her torso, just underneath her breasts, over her tight navy- blue scoop necked t- shirt.

"Seriously," Cuddy replied.

TBC…


	8. Chapter 8

**HI EVERYONE!  
**

**SORRY FOR THE DELAY. I WAS AWAY THIS WEEKEND.**

**BUT HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-)**

*****************************************************  
**

**CHAPTER 8: PLEASE READ AND COMMENT.**

"Too many clothes," House said as he found the hem of her t- shirt.

She lifted her arms to allow him to pull her shirt over her head, revealing a navy- blue lacy demi- bra and her toned, sexy abdomen as her raven hair tumbled around her shoulders.

"I love how obsessive you are that your bras have to match your shirt," House murmured.

"Stop talking," Cuddy commanded him.

They kissed hungrily, wantonly exploring each other's mouths, their tongues fighting for dominance.

Suddenly, House broke off their kiss.

"What's wrong?" Cuddy said breathlessly.

"If I'm gonna get you pregnant, I'm gonna do it in our bed," House told her huskily.

Cuddy quickly got off House's and took his hand, leading him down the hallway to her bedroom, incredibly excited that she had called her bed 'their bed.'"

Once they got to her bedroom, they frantically removed whatever was left of their clothing as they continued to kiss, the passion building between them. Once they were naked, Cuddy wrapped her leg around his hip, pulling his body closer to hers.

House promptly hooked his hand underneath her supple, toned thigh, lifting it gently off him. Cuddy pulled back slightly, gazing at him, concerned that she had brushed up against his leg.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" Cuddy asked him.

"No," House said, his beautiful, bright blue eyes intense with passion for her.

"Turn around," he told her as his cock began to throb against her.

Cuddy peeked at him demurely through her long, dark lashes. She then slowly faced away from him.

He pressed the front of his body up against the back of hers from behind, cupping her naked breast and teasing her nipple with his thumb. She gasped as he devoured her neck, his cock pressing up against her ass.

He then reached in between her thighs and parted them slowly, parted her legs from behind, making her gasp once more. She look back at him in anticipation, their position exciting her beyond belief.

"This is the one I was up to in the book," House told her in a low voice.

He then entered her from behind, making her arch her back against him and her eyes flutter closed.

He thrust his hips forward, slowly, making slight circular motion with each thrust, adding just the right sensation in just the right spot.

"… Greg…" Cuddy breathed, wrapping her arm around his neck, pulling him even closer to her, making him penetrate deeper.

He buried his face in her neck, holding her leg up with one hand. He could feel the intensity building up inside her just as fiercely as he could feel his own.

Cuddy's shallow breaths became sexy cries as she felt herself tip over the edge.

"Oh god Lisa..." House groaned at his release inside her, holding onto her as if he'd never let her go.

A few moments later, they lay next to each other on the bed, their breathing beginning to relax.

"Lisa..." House murmured.

"Yes, Greg..." Cuddy replied, her eyes closed.

"If I knocked you up, do we still have to invite Chase, Wilson and Sophie over tomorrow?" he asked.

Cuddy chuckled. "Yes, Greg," she said.

"... If I DIDN'T knock you up, do we still have to invite them over?" he asked.

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The next morning, New Years Day, at around 9 AM, Cameron stirred as she awoke naked underneath her earth toned comforter in her queen- sized bed.

A lazy, but satisfied smile formed on her face as she remembered how wonderful her date had been with Neil Stern the night before.

She remembered how delicious the food and wine had tasted Josephina's restaurant and how glamorous she felt in her dress, sitting next to Neil in their box seats at Lincoln Center as the glorious arias of "La Boheme" enveloped the famous Manhattan concert hall.

And how they had made love twice after returning to her apartment.

Her eyes still closed, she reached over to the other side of her bed, but felt nothing except the cold, empty sheet.

She opened her eyes and looked up.

Stern was standing near the bed. He was already wearing his tuxedo pants and was busy buttoning up his crisp white button- down shirt. His straight black tie was hanging loosely around his neck.

"Got a date?" Cameron quipped.

Stern looked up from buttoning his shirt and smiled quickly at her. She propped herself up on both her elbows, pulling the blanket up to cover her breasts as he walked over to the bed. He sat down next to her and kissed her lips.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you up," Neil said.

"… Why not?" Cameron asked him, slightly confused.

"It's New Years Day. Figured I'd let you sleep late," he replied with a shrug.

Cameron furrowed her brow, not thrilled about his casual demeanor

"So… you were planning on sneaking out of here without me knowing?" Cameron asked him, her eyebrow arching.

Stern chuckled and brushed her long, blond hair off her exposed bare shoulder.

"I WAS gonna leave a note," he said, flashing her a disarming smile.

This time it was Cameron's turn to laugh. He leaned forward to kiss her again.

"…Can't you stay for a bit?" Cameron asked, almost pleadingly as their lips brushed each other's over and over.

At this, Stern softly broke off their kiss.

"I wish I could, love, but I've got a brunch meeting. I've been trying to raise funds for our new lab and this big donor finally agreed to meet with me," Stern explained as he got up off her bed.

Cameron merely stared at him in disbelief as he began to tie his tie.

"You're meeting with a donor on New Year's Day?" Cameron asked him, the skepticism evident in her voice.

"I'm sorry, honey, but the people with the money dictate my schedule," Stern replied.

Before Cameron had the chance to respond, Stern leaned over and kissed her once more.

"I'll call you later, ok?" Stern said.

"…Ok," Cameron replied tentatively.

Stern gave her another quick peck on her lips before leaving her alone, naked, in her bed, wondering if he actually had a meeting and if he would have even bothered to leave a note if she hadn't woken up before he left. 

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Around two hours later, Chase and Sophie arrived at Cuddy's place for her New Year's Day brunch.

Sophie held the front door open for Chase as he hobbled inside her home on his crutches. He was wearing his air cast and a only a sock on his left foot.

Wilson, who had already been there for a half- hour, walked into the foyer and greeted his sister and Chase with a smile. He gave Sophie a kiss on her cheek and wished them both a Happy New Year.

Sophie then helped Chase off with his coat and Wilson took both his and Sophie's coat from them as they walked through the foyer to the living room.

As Wilson went to Cuddy's bedroom to dump their coats, Sophie went with Chase over to Cuddy's living room.

"How's your ankle?" Wilson asked Chase once he returned to the living room, taking his crutches from him to help him.

Chase held onto Sophie's hand as he eased down onto the couch, placing his foot on the matching ottoman in Cuddy's living room.

"Getting there. The swellings down and the pain is subsiding," Chase replied, placing his hand on Sophie's thigh over her jeans as she took a seat down next to him.

Wilson raised his eyebrows in slight surprise as he stared at Chase.

But not because Chase was touching his sister.

"You're still feeling pain?" Wilson asked.

"It's much better than it was," Chase said dismissively, eyeing the basket of assorted pastries and mimosas that Cuddy had placed on the coffee table in front of them.

"Happy New Year!" Cuddy said happily as she entered the living room. She leaned over and kissed both Chase and Sophie's cheeks, taking a seat next to Sophie.

House was following closely behind her, holding a mug of coffee in his hand.

Without saying 'hello' to either Chase or Sophie, House promptly sat down next to Chase, placing his coffee mug on the table and reached into the pastry basket with his hands, snagging two of the pastries, despite the fact that Cuddy had provided a set of tongs in the basket for everyone to use.

"Why don't you just lick all of them while you're at it?" Sophie snarked at House.

Wilson laughed out loud, taking a seat on the other end of the couch while Chase pressed his lips together in an attempt his own laugh.

House turned towards her, took a bite from one of the pastries and began to chew with an opened mouth in exaggerated motions.

"I'm a med student. You really think you're gonna gross me out?" Sophie asked with a smirk.

"Forgive him. He's an a$$," Cuddy said, taking one of the mimosas from the table and handing House a plastic plate for his pastries.

"Don't think so," House said quietly to her as he took the plate from her, motioning to the mimosa in her hand.

Cuddy met House's pointed gaze and then slowly put the mimosa back down on the table.

Chase, Wilson and Sophie exchanged curious glances.

"Is… there something we should know about?" Wilson asked them with interest, wondering why he didn't want Cuddy to have any alcohol.

"Yeah. I'm pregnant. But we don't know who the mother is," House said dryly to Wilson.

At that moment, Chase's cell phone rang. As he leaned over and pulled it out of his pocket, he recognized Cameron's number on the Caller ID. He glanced over at Sophie warily, wondering if he should answer it.

But Sophie had recognized Cameron's number on Chase's Caller ID as well.

"Tell Cameron I say 'Happy New Year,'" Sophie said lightly.

Chase exhaled, pushed himself off the couch, took his crutches and headed for Cuddy's kitchen for some privacy. 

******************************************************** 

Once Chase had sat down at Cuddy's kitchen table, he elevated his leg on one of the other chairs and answered his cell phone.

"Hello?" Chase said.

"Hey. You got a minute?" Cameron asked him on the other end.

"What's up?" Chase asked.

"What does it mean when you spend the night with a guy and he tells you the next morning that he has to leave because he has a meeting?" Cameron asked.

"It means that he doesn't have a meeting," Chase replied flatly.

Cameron exhaled. "That's what I thought," she mumbled sadly.

"What's going on?" Chase asked her.

"…I went on a date last night," Cameron told him.

"First date, or 'other?'" Chase asked her.

"First date," Cameron replied.

Chase turned down his lower lip in surprise. "On New Years Eve? Where'd you go?" he asked.

"For dinner and then to Lincoln Center to see La Boheme," Cameron told him.

Chase didn't reply. He merely raised his eyebrows silently.

"It's an opera," Cameron explained.

"I KNOW it's an opera," Chase said with exasperation. "I'm just… impressed. Who is this guy?" he asked her.

"His name is Neil," Cameron said.

"Ok… and does 'Neil' have a last name or is he a pretentious pop singer?" Chase joked.

"…Stern," Cameron said under her breath.

Upon hearing this, Chase's jaw dropped.

"As in … Dr. NEIL Stern?!" Chase exclaimed.

"Chase, don't start—" Cameron said with aggravation.

"How could you sleep with your boss?!" Chase demanded.

Cameron laughed in disgust. "Says the pot to the kettle," she shot back.

Chase winced. For a moment, he had forgotten that Cuddy had slept together when they had attended the A.M.A medical conference in Boston this past October.

"That was different," Chase said defensively, feeling a flush form on his cheeks.

"Yeah, the difference is MY boss took me out on an actual DATE before we had sex," Cameron remarked snidely.

"Look, I know that you're really enjoying insulting me right now, but you obviously called me because you wanted a man's opinion," Chase told her flatly.

Cameron paused, knowing that Chase was right.

"...He said he had to meet with some big donor and that he was gonna call me later…" Cameron began, pausing again.

"Do you think he will?" she asked him.

"Honestly…" Chase began as Cameron waited hopefully on the other end of the line.

"…Don't hold your breath," he told her regrettably. 

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

At around the same time that Chase was in the kitchen, Cuddy had excused herself to use the bathroom.

Grateful that Chase had left the room, Sophie got up from her seat and sat down next to Wilson as House picked up the remote and began flipping through the channels on the TV, looking for the Twilight Zone marathon.

"You don't think that he should be feeling any pain at this point?" Sophie said barely above a whisper to Wilson.

"It depends," Wilson shrugged. "It's a grade II sprain. The pain could linger—"

"For how long?" Sophie interrupted with concern in her voice.

"How many pills has he taken?" House said, never looking away from the TV.

"Nine out of the twelve he was prescribed," Sophie replied.

"That's… not so bad—" Wilson began tentatively.

"…I had to talk him out of taking one last night," Sophie confessed to Wilson.

At this, Wilson exchanged a quick glance with House, who looked away from the TV for a brief second at Sophie's last statement.

"He didn't even tell me that he was feeling any pain. He just reached for the bottle," Sophie said, becoming more concerned at how her brother's expression had changed.

"Maybe he WAS feeling pain and he just didn't tell you," Wilson suggested.

"Or maybe he's addicted to the Vicodin," House interjected.

"He's not addicted—" Sophie quickly said.

"You wouldn't even be HAVING this conversation if you didn't think that he was becoming addicted," House interrupted.

Sophie looked away from House and down towards her lap, too stubborn to admit that House was right. House kept his gaze on her as she did so.

"But what you're REALLY worried about is that when you go back to school that no one is going to be able to keep an EYE on him in case he decides to dip into his secret stash," House stated knowingly.

"That's ridiculous," Wilson scoffed. "Chase doesn't have a secret stash. Nathan only prescribed him 12 pills—"

"Oh god," Sophie suddenly said with worry, her face looking like she had just seen a ghost.

"What?" House asked her.

"…A few days ago, Allison sent him another script for twelve more Vicodin," Sophie told them.

House and Wilson exchanged glances again, this time with much greater concern.

"He told me that it was a good idea to have more just in case," Sophie said to Wilson, the anxiety growing in her voice.

House tilted his head slightly, intrigued by the new puzzle that had surfaced before him.

"Sounds like a secret stash to me," House said.

TBC….


	9. Chapter 9

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**************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 9: Please read and comment.**

While Sophie, House and Wilson were discussing Chase's possible drug addiction in Cuddy's living room, Cuddy was still in the bathroom and Chase was still on the phone with Cameron in Cuddy's kitchen.

"So how's your ankle?" Cameron asked over the phone.

"Better. The swelling's down and the pain is subsiding," Chase replied.

"That's good," Cameron said.

Chase leaned over slightly to fish out the bottle of Vicodin in his jeans pocket that Cameron had sent him through the mail. He stared at it contemplatively, manipulating it between his fingers.

And then he smiled.

His memory jogged back to last night, when he had reached for the bottle almost automatically upon feeling a twinge in his injured ankle.

In reality, the pain wasn't really that bad, but the Vicodin were working much faster than the Motrin would.

But Sophie had gently talked him out of taking one.

She didn't nag him, or remind him how worried she was about him taking opiates for his pain, which he knew that she was.

She just suggested to him that he might not need it.

And then, she gave him a massage to take his mind off the his ankle.

And as he looked at the bottle, he realized that Sophie had made the right call.

And that he was a real lucky ba$tard to have someone like her that cared about him.

"You know… I don't even think I'm gonna need those pills you sent me," Chase stated, shoving the bottle back in his pocket.

Cameron smiled on the other end. "That's even better," she replied.

Chase chuckled. "Sophie thinks I'm turning into House," he said.

"Why? How many pills have you taken so far?" she asked.

"Nine," Chase told her.

Cameron laughed in disbelief. "So then why would she think you're becoming addicted after only nine pills?" she asked.

"Because she's an eager, overachieving third year med student and she thinks she knows everything," Chase replied impishly.

Upon hearing this, Cameron was slightly surprised.

She never expected Chase to say anything negative about his new girlfriend, and as far as she knew, things were great between them.

"She means well," Chase added quickly, suddenly realizing how Cameron might have interpreted his remark.

"…How's it going with you two?" Cameron asked tentatively.

"Very good. We had a really great week together," Chase said sincerely, feeling a warm sensation fill his heart as he thought of her.

"Well that's good to hear," Cameron said with a smile.

"And she's taking such good care of me," Chase added.

Cameron paused, inhaling slightly, remembering how she had woken up that morning to see Neil Stern getting dressed and ready to run out the door after spending the night with her.

"Why don't you just call him?" Chase said, reading her mind once again.

"How do you do that?" Cameron asked flatly.

"What? Read your thoughts?" Chase asked her, grinning broadly. "I've learned a lot about you in the last five years.

"If I call him, I'll just sound desperate," Cameron said dismissively.

"C'mon. It's the 21st century. Women are empowered," Chase joked.

"I'm not that aggressive when it comes to men," Cameron said.

"Really. So it was someone ELSE who convinced House into taking her out on a date and jumped me in a patient's home and talked me into doing it in the sleep lab," Chase said with deadpanned sarcasm.

"You didn't exactly FIGHT me," Cameron reminded him playfully.

"Why are you so timid with this guy?" Chase asked her.

"I'm not timid… I'm just…" Cameron said, trailing off.

"…When he asked me out, I thought he was really interested in me," Cameron mumbled.

"Who says he's not?" Chase asked.

"Then why did you tell me not to hold my breath?" Cameron asked him back.

"Because the guy obviously loves playing games with people. He offered me that job right in front of Cuddy. He knew that was gonna piss her off, but he did it anyway," Chase replied.

Cameron chuckled slightly, remembering that Stern had revealed that he and Cuddy had what he had referred to as a 'love- hate' relationship.

And as usual, Chase was able to read the situation perfectly.

"Listen, I should go," Chase said.

"Ok," Cameron said.

"Let me know if he calls, ok?" Chase asked her.

Cameron smiled warmly on the other end, realizing that she truly loved being just friends with Chase.

"I will," she promised. 

---------------------------------------------------------------

As Cameron and Chase were talking over the phone in Cuddy's kitchen, House, Wilson and Sophie were in Cuddy's living room.

"We have to talk to Robbie," Sophie stated adamantly.

House rolled his eyes in annoyance and focused back on the TV.

"What… like an intervention?" Wilson asked her dubiously.

"Yes," Sophie said.

"If we all approach him together, he'll think we're attacking him, and he'll feel like he can't trust you," Wilson pointed out.

"Then let's tell Cuddy," Sophie suggested.

"If we tell Cuddy, she'll fire him," House said.

"She never fired you," Sophie pointed out.

"Chase isn't me," House replied.

"Can't tell me what?" Cuddy suddenly said as she walked back into her living room.

Sophie and Wilson quickly spun their heads around and then looked back at each other nervously.

"That Chase is a Vicodin addict," House replied, still staring at the TV.

"WHAT?!" Cuddy exclaimed in shock.

"House!" Wilson barked.

"Is that true?!" Cuddy demanded of Wilson.

"OF COURSE IT'S NOT TRUE!" House declared, clearly annoyed and fed up at the conversation.

Cuddy, Wilson and Sophie stared at House completely confused.

"Wait a minute. You just said that he's using Allison's extra script as a secret stash," Sophie reminded him.

"No, I said it SOUNDS like a secret stash. YOU'RE the one who immediately jumped to drug addiction," House stated.

"Then why did Robbie call Allison to send him 12 more Vicodin?" Sophie demanded angrily, placing her hand on her hip.

"Because Nathan's a LOUSY doctor and any GOOD doctor SHOULD prescribe 30 Vicodin for this type of injury without thinking twice about it," House replied.

Sophie looked back at Wilson for confirmation, who suddenly was wearing a sheepish look on his face.

"He's not a lousy doctor. He's just… conservative," Wilson muttered, feeling very uncomfortable about bashing a colleague of his right in front of Cuddy.

House then got off the couch and limped a few feet over to Sophie, standing merely a few inches from her, locking her eyes with his.

"And like any overachieving med student, YOU put all the pieces of the puzzle together exactly the way you wanted to see them," House stated bluntly in her face.

"Family history of addiction, finding a way to get more pills, taking them even though he doesn't outwardly complain of pain," Sophie rattled off, counting Chase's 'symptoms' on her fingers, standing her ground and refusing to look away from his stare.

"Does he have any other symptoms? Is he experiencing withdrawal from not taking it last night or this morning?" House demanded right back at her.

At this, Sophie backed up slightly, realizing that Chase wasn't experiencing any of those things.

"Just because a diagnosis LOOKS like it fits doesn't mean that it DOES," House stated.

As House eyes seemed to penetrate right through her, Sophie felt her confidence begin to wane.

But she was too stubborn to show House her real feelings.

But Wilson knew his baby sister all too well, knowing that she must have felt two inches high at the moment.

"House…" Wilson began.

"And just because YOU think I'm an addict doesn't mean that everyone else is, too," House suddenly said to Wilson.

At that moment, Chase hobbled back into the living room.

Upon seeing the four of them standing in the living room and Sophie's embarrassed expression, he moved closer to her.

"What's going on?" Chase asked them.

Cuddy, who had remained silent during the entire exchange, turned to Chase and smiled at him.

"Nothing," she reassured him. "Greg was just arguing a diagnosis with Sophie," she added, twisting the truth a little.

Chase looked at Sophie to ascertain if this was true.

Sophie met his gaze, smiled slightly and nodded in silence.

But inside, the humiliation surged through her, making her feel like crawling into a hole and never coming out. 

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

After Wilson, Chase and Sophie had left, Cuddy was standing at her kitchen sink, cleaning up the dishes as House was sitting at the kitchen table, watching her.

"So are you gonna help or are you just gonna sit on your a$$?" Cuddy asked him.

"Sitting on my ass definitely sounds more appealing," House replied. "And I get to watch YOUR ass as I do it."

"But if you helped me load the dishwasher, you might get to GRAB my ass," Cuddy pointed out with a sexy smile.

House laughed slightly and pushed himself off the chair and joined her at the sink.

As he took the rinsed plates from her and put them in the dishwasher, Cuddy braced herself before asking House what she had wanted to for several hours.

"…Don't you think you were a bit hard on Sophie today?" Cuddy asked him.

"Not if she really wants to be a doctor when she grows up," House replied.

"Wilson told me that she works really hard and that's she's very bright. And she's only a third year—" Cuddy argued.

"Which means she's only got two years left before she's out in the real world and her chief resident or attending starts abusing her on a daily basis. I just gave her a reality check," House replied.

Cuddy exhaled, knowing that it was pointless to argue with him and that his words did ring partially true.

"You know… I could have had that mimosa," Cuddy said, changing the subject.

"No you couldn't," House replied, without missing a beat as he took a plate from her.

"There's no way I'm already pregnant," Cuddy stated.

"But if you ARE already pregnant, I don't want to hear you whine that you never should have had that one drink in case something happens to the fetus that might be growing in your uterus," House stated.

"And why are you so convinced that you're not pregnant already?" House asked as an afterthought.

"Because I'm almost 40 years old, and I tried artificial insemination three times and it failed," Cuddy reminded him.

"The key word in that sentence being 'artificial,'" House said.

"So what are you saying? That all I need is a good stiff one to get the job done?" Cuddy asked him coyly.

House raised his eyebrows in interest and squeezed her ass affectionately.

"You think I can find a t- shirt that says that?" he asked her.

Cuddy then bumped him with her hip, making him laugh and kept washing the dishes.

TBC...


	10. Chapter 10

**HI EVERYONE!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

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That night, hours after Cuddy's New Year's brunch had ended, Chase and Sophie were enjoying dessert and after dinner drinks in an intimate Italian bistro in downtown Princeton.

Chase had reserved a table for them with a semi- circle couch instead of chairs so they could sit as close as they could to each other.

Chase's right arm was resting on the back of the couch and his fingertips were idly caressing Sophie's bare shoulder as she took another sip from the French Kiss that Chase had ordered for her, thoroughly enjoying the intoxicating sensation and tastes of the Vodka, Chambord and dark Crème de Cacao on her tongue.

Chase felt his cock stir in his pants as he watched her lick the liquor off her glossy lips.

His glass of Amaretto was almost completely empty and he was beginning to enjoy its effects.

He gave her another lingering once over in her black rayon slip dress. The thin straps and scoop neck accented her cleavage and the lovely top curves of her ample breasts, while the sleek silhouette and ruched fabric showed off her thin waist and curves.

Chase wrapped his arm around Sophie's bare shoulder and pulled her closer to him in the couch. He nuzzled her cheek with his nose as he took in the scent of her jasmine soap that he loved so much.

Chase then reached underneath the table with his other hand, slowly lifting the hem of her dress slightly and caressed the lower part of her thigh just above her knee.

His cock strained against the front of his slacks at the feel of her black sheer stockings against his fingertips.

Sophie placed her drink back down on the table and met his gaze demurely, feeling her own arousal begin to stir at the passionate look in his blue- green eyes and how incredibly handsome he looked in his dark blue button down shirt and black slacks.

At her insistence, he didn't shave before they went out and was sporting a thin layer of scruff. His hair was slightly tousled, stray locks framing his face.

Chase kept his eyes on hers as he slipped his hand to her inner thigh and began to venture upwards against the fabric of her stocking.

As she gasped as quietly as she could, Chase raised his eyebrows almost undetectably, the corners of his lips turning upwards ever so slightly.

"How high up do these stockings go?" Chase asked her softly.

"I'm not gonna tell you that," Sophie teased sexily.

"Are you gonna show me?" Chase asked her, his hand starting to travel higher on the inside of her thigh.

Sophie placed her hand on top of his underneath the table, stopping his journey.

"Not here. They'll kick us out," Sophie replied with a grin.

"So? We already finished dinner," Chase quipped, returning her grin.

"But I want to finish my drink," Sophie told him playfully.

Chase leaned forward, closing the distance between them and gently brushed her lips with his own. Chase parted his lips, caressing the tip her tongue with his delicately, tasting the decadent liquor and crème.

Sophie felt his kiss move through her, making every part of her body tingle.

"You taste so good," Chase murmured against her lips.

"I hope you tell me that later," Sophie replied.

"You're a naughty girl," Chase told her, his eyes widening slightly.

"And you like it," Sophie said.

Chase nodded eagerly and kissed her again deeply, holding her close to him. Sophie wrapped her arms around his neck and threaded her fingers through the back of his hair, the scent of his cologne permeating her senses.

Completely involved in each other, they were suddenly interrupted by the waitress who coughed loudly as she stood over their table.

Chase and Sophie broke off their kiss and looked at the blond waitress standing there with an annoyed look on her face and her hand on her hip.

"Do you need anything else?" the waitress asked in a pinched voice.

"Not really," Chase replied casually.

The waitress snorted and tossed the leather billfold down on the table that she was holding and walked away.

Chase snorted in disgust as he reached for the check, keeping one arm around Sophie as he did so.

Sophie chuckled. "Hey, I used to waitress, remember? Trust me. It's no fun interrupting people making out at a table to give them the check," she told him.

Chase laughed. "She didn't have to interrupt. She could have just left it," he pointed out.

Sophie smiled and stroked his cheek, loving the feeling of his scruff against her palm.

"I'm so glad you didn't shave tonight," Sophie told him.

Chase smiled and gazed into her eyes, which were sparkling from the glow of the single candle at their table.

"Did you enjoy your dinner?" Chase asked softly.

Sophie bit her lip and nodded. "Very much," she replied, matching his soft tone.

"I'm glad. I wanted tonight to be special," Chase said, kissing her palm.

Sophie felt a wave of melancholy wash over her, trying to push the thought out of her mind that that she had to go back to Boston tomorrow morning.

"I still wish we went snowboarding," Chase told her.

"We can always go snowboarding another time," Sophie said.

Chase cupped her face and brushed the tip of his nose against hers.

"You are so beautiful," Chase whispered.

Sophie felt her heart beat wildly in her chest as he brushed her lips once more. Chase could feel her lower lip quiver against his as he kissed her.

As they broke off their kiss, he could tell by the smoldering look in her deep brown eyes that she was quivering inside as well.

"…You have no idea what you do to me, do you?" Sophie managed to say.

"Let's get out of here," Chase said huskily, feeling his arousal grow once more.

Sophie nodded quickly as Chase took some money out of his wallet and tossed it on the table

--------------------------------------------------

Around a half- hour later, Chase and Sophie were lying on Chase's bed above his blanket. His shirt was already off and Sophie had already unzipped his slacks, which were hanging low on his hips as he pressed his body against hers.

She loved how his erection felt against her.

Sophie lolled her head back in pleasure as Chase kissed down her neck to her collarbone, tasting her skin as he slowly unzipped the back of her dress.

The thin straps easily fell off her shoulders, revealing more of her breasts to him.

Sophie whimpered as Chase gently pushed the dress down further.

Chase arousal heightened even more upon discovering that she wasn't wearing a bra under her dress.

Her breathing was shallow as she peeked at him through her long lashes.

He then greedily took one of her pink nipples in his mouth, taking possession of her.

"Ohh!" she whimpered once more at the feeling of his lips on her.

As he suckled her nipple, his tongue fluttering against her taut peak, he hiked up the hem of her dress. His fingers skated over the sheer fabric of her stockings, finding a lace band around her toned thigh.

"Oh god…" Chase moaned against her breast, thrilled that she had worn thigh- high stockings.

"I knew you'd like these," Sophie whispered.

Suddenly, Chase roughly yanked down the rest of her dress off her, making her gasp aloud in shock. He tossed the dress on his bedroom floor and turned back to her.

She was lying on her back, one knee slightly raised, her legs seductively closed, a wanton expression on her face.

His eyes raked over her, taking in the glorious site of her body, clad only in her black bikini lace panties, her stockings and her stiletto heels.

He maneuvered carefully to hover over her.

He grabbed her tiny wrists in his hands and pinned them down to the bed, lowering his body down on top of her.

Sophie could see that his eyes were blazing. Her own excitement grew at his response to her.

She could feel her pulse race at the feeling of his body against hers and at the sensation of him pinning her wrists down to the bed, dominating her.

"Will you leave your stockings and heels on for me?" Chase begged in a ragged whisper as he thrust his hips against her panty- clad core.

"Yes," Sophie breathed, feeling his hard shaft through his slacks.

He reached down between their bodies, sliding his middle finger beneath the lace of her panties. He made slow circles with his fingertip against her nub, making her moan softly.

She fluttered her eyes closed at the sensation of the pressure building up between her legs.

"...No… not yet…" she begged.

Chase trailed kisses against her jawline.

"…Yes…" he murmured.

"You know that I can't have more than one—" she began desperately.

"You will tonight," he assured her.

Sophie arched back as Chase touch became more insistent. He watched her face intently as she got closer, knowing from the way her eyes fluttered closed and as her lips parted that she was about to tip over the edge.

She cried out his name as her entire body tensed up, her orgasm overtaking her.

As the waves of pleasure crashed over her, Chase's cock throbbed in his pants, begging for release.

After her first orgasm, Sophie lay on the bed, still wearing her stockings, heels and panties, trying to catch her breath, her eyes closed. Chase shrugged out of his pants and boxers and grabbed a condom out of the drawer.

As she felt his movements on the bed next to her, she lazily opened her eyes and smiled.

"...So can I take these off now?" Sophie joked with an exhale, referring to her stockings and heels.

After sheathing himself in the condom, he peeled her panties off past her hips, thighs, legs and feet. He lowered himself down onto her.

She wrapped her legs around his back, pulling him closer as he entered her.

He groaned loudly and she shuddered as he filled her up and began to thrust, her sweet, tight, and wet core enveloping him.

"No way," he told her, grabbing her wrists once more and holding her down.

------------------------------------------------------

After making love, Chase held her close to him underneath his blanket.

She stroked his bare chest lightly with her fingertips as he took one of her wrists in his hand.

He then noticed little red dots on her skin on the inside of her wrist.

"Oh damn," Chase said regrettably as he examined her wrist further.

"What?" Sophie asked, lifting her head slightly.

"Look what I did to you," Chase said, showing her the broken capillaries that had formed on the inside of her wrist from holding her down on the bed.

Sophie smiled with closed lips. "It's ok," she said.

Chase placed the inside of her wrist against his lips and kissed her skin there very delicately.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked softly.

"Not at all," she assured him.

Chase smiled weakly at her as she kissed him gently. She then settled back down on his chest and shifted her leg to avoid making contact with his ankle.

"Are you comfortable?" Sophie whispered to him.

"Mmmm…" Chase nodded blissfully, closing his eyes.

Sophie smiled happily. "I can't believe I had two orgasms," she said.

"I'm a man of my word," he said in a low voice, his face morphing into a grin.

Sophie giggled and kissed his chest.

"Stay another day," he murmured, gathering her closer to him.

Sophie rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him forlornly.

"You know I can't," she said sadly.

"I'm a doctor. I'll write you a note," Chase said, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.

Sophie chuckled slightly. "I wish it was that easy," she said sincerely.

Chase captured her lips in a sweet, gentle kiss as he rolled over onto his side. She rolled away from him as they fell into their usual 'spooning' position after making love, the front of his body pressed against the back of hers. He wrapped his arm around her as she nestled into his embrace.

As they shared a wonderful silence together, Sophie's mind drifted back to the conversation that she and House had earlier that day at Cuddy's party.

She had assumed Chase was becoming addicted to Vicodin after taking only nine pills.

And House had quickly shot her down, humiliating her in the process.

She hadn't yet told Chase about their conversation, but as the day had continued, she had felt awful about it.

"…Robbie…" Sophie began tentatively, still facing away from him.

"Hmmm…" Chase said, tracing the curve of her upper arm with his fingertip.

"I have to tell you something—" Sophie said.

"Ok," he said.

Sophie turned around to face him, pulling the blanket up over her breasts as she did so, looking away from his gaze, too ashamed to meet his eyes with her own.

She exhaled, preparing herself for his reaction for what she was about to reveal to him.

"…While you were on the phone with Allison in Cuddy's kitchen… I was talking to Jimmy and House in the other room—" she began.

"I know. I heard the whole conversation," Chase told her.

Sophie looked up at him in complete shock.

"You DID?" she exclaimed.

Chase's expression was completely serene as he smiled softly at her.

"It's ok," he told her.

"Oh god…" Sophie said in embarassment, turning away from him once more.

But he pulled her gently by her shoulder to make her face him. He touched her chin to have her meet his gaze.

"I know that you meant well," he assured her. "You were just worried about me."

"But there was no reason for me to be worried," she argued softly.

"But you didn't know that," he told her.

Sophie let out a breath that she had apparently been holding in and lay flat on her back, staring at the ceiling.

"House thinks I'm an idiot," she said flatly.

"I know. I heard that part, too," he told her.

"Great," she muttered sarcastically.

Chase propped himself up on his elbow and smirked slightly at her.

"He's like that with everyone. You know that. You can't let him get to you," he told her.

"Even if he's right?" she asked him.

"About what?" he asked.

"That I'm gonna be a lousy doctor," she mumbled.

At this, Chase touched her face again, forcing her to look at him once more.

"No you're NOT," he stated emphatically.

"Robbie, I study all the time… I do well in all my classes… I'm excellent on Q&A on rounds…" she began in exasperation.

"Yeah, it sounds like you're really gonna suck at this," he joked.

"I will if I immediately assume you're becoming a junkie instead of possibly considering that you might actually need more than twelve pills for a grade II ankle sprain," she countered.

"You think every doctor gets every diagnosis right and all treat patients the same way?" Chase asked her pointedly.

"…No," she replied.

Chase kept his gaze on her, making sure that she understood what he was about to tell her.

"You're gonna make mistakes," he told her evenly and somberly.

Something about Chase's tone of voice and the look in his eyes told her that he was speaking from experience.

But she didn't press him.

"And some doctors are more conservative than others," he continued.

Sophie nodded in agreement.

"And I'm not gonna take the Vicodin that Cameron sent me," he added.

Sophie shook her head vehemently.

"Honey, if you need them, you should take them. I had no right to stop you—" she began.

"But I DON'T need them," he said with a smile. "The Motrin's doing the job."

Sophie smiled with relief as she nestled back down onto his chest. He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead.

"And I don't want you worrying about me when you go back to school, ok?" he said.

"You know I will no matter what you say, right?" Sophie asked him.

A soft chuckle escaped Chase's lips, his heart swelling with happiness.

"Yeah, I know," he said with a smile.

TBC...


	11. Chapter 11

**HI EVERYONE!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A REVIEW IF YOU WISH! I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO COMMENTS!**

**ENJOY! :-) **************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 11: Please read and comment.**

Early the next morning, at around 8 AM, Cuddy was standing in her bedroom in front of her full- length mirror. She was standing sideways, scrutinizing her figure.

Cuddy had always been happy with her shape. She ate well, avoided sugar, jogged on a regular basis and did yoga as well to maintain her slim, yet curvy figure.

And based on the a$$ comments she had taken from House over the last five years plus the incredible sex they had been having lately, he knew he was more than happy with her body as well.

But this morning, she found herself wanting one part of her body to change.

Her belly.

She placed her hand over her flat abdomen, wishing that soon it would be rounder than it was.

She darted her eyes over to her already made bed, which was covered with an earth- toned quilt and pillows of various sizes.

Knowing that House was still in the shower, she quickly took a few steps to the bed, grabbed a small, round pillow off of it and went back to the mirror.

She took a furtive glance out of her bedroom to make sure that House wasn't coming down the hallway and then looked back at the mirror again.

She then opened her black suit jacket that perfectly matched her black pencil skirt, and stuffed the pillow underneath the front of her lilac colored camisole to give herself the illusion of having a pregnant belly.

As she admired herself in the mirror at various angles with the pillow underneath her top, wondering if this is what she would look like pregnant, she didn't notice House standing in the doorway, wearing nothing but a towel slung low around his hips and an amused smirk on his face.

"Wow!" House said in mock surprise.

Cuddy's head snapped around to the doorway, her eyes widened with shock to see him standing there.

"I mean… I knew my sperm was powerful, but—" House teased.

"Shut up," Cuddy said, taking the pillow out of her shirt and quickly tossing it back on the bed, feeling a wicked flush creep up her cheeks.

House's smirk remained as he limped towards her.

He positioned himself behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close against the front of his body.

"Trying it on for size?" House asked her.

"Something like that," Cuddy said with a chuckle.

Still standing behind her, the two of them looked in the mirror, their eyes locking on each other in their reflections.

House slipped his hand underneath her jacket, placing it on the front of her flat abdomen.

"Pregnancy could be a good look for you," he admitted.

"I don't think it's up to me," Cuddy muttered.

"Stop worrying," he told her. "I'll knock you up."

"You're that confident in your sperm's abilities?" Cuddy asked him with a raised eyebrow, still gazing at his reflection in the mirror.

"My sperm are so potent that if we looked at them under a microscope, I bet they'd be wearing little capes with 'S's' on them," House boasted.

Cuddy laughed out loud. "I'm sure they would be," she told him.

House smiled slightly and gently moved the hair away from her face. He then placed a small kiss underneath her earlobe.

"Faster than a speeding bullet…" he murmured near her ear.

Cuddy giggled as he began trailing kisses down her jawline.

"More powerful than a locomotive…" he continued.

"You're crazy," she chided him.

"Able to leap tall fallopian tubes in a single bound," he said, making his way to her neck.

Cuddy closed her eyes, still laughing slightly as he started sucking delicately on her neck.

"Look… up in your uterus… it's Supersperm," he whispered.

"If you're trying to turn me on, it's not working," Cuddy told him with a grin.

House stopped kissing her neck and grimaced at her.

"Good thing. My boss is a real hard- a$$. She'd make me pull double clinic duty if I'm late again," he snarked.

"You're right. So go get dressed," she told him.

House snorted and walked over to Cuddy's dresser. He opened the bottom drawer and took out a pair of dark jeans, a black t- shirt that said, 'NORMAL IS OVERRATED,' in white capital letters, a pair of white boxer briefs and socks.

Cuddy sat down at her vanity table and began putting on her eye makeup as House took off his towel, tossing it in a corner of the room.

"You could put that in the hamper," she told him, watching him through the mirror on her vanity.

"That's true," he said, sitting down on the bed to put on his boxers and jeans, leaving the towel in the corner of the room.

As House dressed, he glanced over at Cuddy, who was carefully putting mascara on her left eye.

"You wanna get fertility testing?" House asked her quietly.

"Not yet," Cuddy replied, never taking her eyes off her reflection as she continued to apply her makeup.

House blinked, completely surprised at her calm response, as if she had been waiting for him to ask her that question.

House nodded slightly. "Ok," he said.

Cuddy paused contemplatively and put the mascara wand down on her vanity.

"Do… YOU want to get fertility testing?" she asked tentatively.

House motioned with his head for her to come join him on the bed. She did so and sat down next to him, gazing at him with trepidation into his bright blue eyes, which wore an extremely serious expression

"It depends," House said in a low voice.

"On what?" Cuddy asked, surprised at his serious tone.

"On what kind of porn magazines they have down in the fertility clinic," House said in a deadpanned voice.

Cuddy swatted his chest and shook her head in disbelief.

"I'm sure you'll find something," she told him.

"And if not, I can always page my boss to give me a helping hand," he said, waggling his eyebrows once. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time, Sophie was in Chase's bedroom, zipping up her suitcase.

"I think that's everything," she said, glancing around his bedroom to make sure she didn't forget anything.

"Don't forget this," Chase said from behind her.

Sophie turned around to see Chase holding his grey hooded sweatshirt in his hand, holding it out to her with a smile.

"But it's your favorite," she reminded him.

Chase limped closer to her, closing the distance between them. He touched her face, caressing her jawline lightly with his thumb.

"And that's why I want you to take it with you," he said, gazing at her lovingly.

He then tilted his head down slightly, brushing her lips with his own, kissing her searchingly.

Sophie reached up and caressed his face, reveling in the way his kiss always weakened her knees.

"How are you wrists?" he asked her against her mouth.

"They're ok," she replied as they kissed.

Chase broke off their kiss and gently took her wrist in his hand, scrutinizing the broken capillaries that had formed on the inside of her wrists last night.

"I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you," he apologized.

"You didn't hurt me," she reassured him. "I just bruise easily."

Chase kissed the tiny red dots he had left on her wrists.

"I promise that I won't hold your wrists down on the bed next time," he told her.

"Well where's the fun in that?" she said sexily.

Chase grinned, feeling his bulge begin to grow in his pants, as he remembered how he had held her down on the bed during their love- making last night, and how excited she had become when he did so.

He caught her lips in another kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue, when a knock at Chase's front door interrupted them.

"That's Jimmy," Sophie managed to say, still caught up in his kiss.

"Don't care," he murmured, cupping her cheek.

They both heard another knock, this time more insistent.

Chase broke off their kiss and exhaled loudly in exasperation. Sophie laughed and walked out of Chase's room to answer the door, putting his sweatshirt on over her fitted burgundy t- shirt as she went to his foyer.

She looked through the peephole of Chase's door and saw her brother standing on the other side, his hands thrust into his pockets, rocking on his heels.

She opened the door and smiled at him.

"Are you ready to go?" Wilson asked her.

"… Could we have a few more minutes?" Sophie asked him.

"Sure," Wilson replied with an understanding smile. "I'm parked right out front," he added.

Sophie nodded, and closed Chase's front door.

She turned around to see Chase standing in the foyer, holding her suitcase.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed, taking the suitcase from him. "You shouldn't be carrying anything. And where are your crutches?"

"I'm fine," he said dismissively. "And I have a sprained ankle. Not a hernia," he added.

Sophie laughed and placed her suitcase on the floor. "You still shouldn't be walking around without the crutches," she told him.

"Actually, I think I'm gonna ask House where he buys his canes," he joked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close to him.

"That could be a sexy look for you," she teased.

Chase lowered his head slightly and pressed his forehead against hers, nuzzling her nose with his.

"Don't go," he whispered, closing his eyes.

"I have to," Sophie whispered back, her own eyes closing as well.

He continued to rub her nose softly with his, taking in the scent of his soap on her that they had used in the shower that morning together.

"Please…" he said, his lips grazing hers as he spoke.

"…Don't do this," she begged him, feeling overwhelming emotions surge through her.

"Why not?" he asked her, his tone still soft.

"Because I don't want to go back to Boston," she confessed sadly.

"Then transfer here," he told her.

Sophie slumped her shoulders and stepped back away from him.

"I can't. The new term is starting. If I transfer, I'll never get onto a rotation or into a class. I'm sure they're all closed out—" she began in exasperation.

"Which means you've been thinking about transferring," he interrupted with a loving smile.

"Yes," she said, nodding.

Chase limped closer to her again, pulling her close to him.

"Do you need any money?" he asked her.

Sophie furrowed her brow in confusion at his question.

"No. Why would you ask me that?" she asked him.

"Because I'm not crazy about my girl hustling poker in her spare time for cash," he told her.

Sophie smirked. "I thought it was MY job to worry about YOU," she told him.

"And I love it when you call me your 'girl,'" she added happily.

"Good, because you are my girl," he told her.

They stood in the doorway, holding both their hands in each other's, not wanting to move from their spot in the foyer.

"Take the Vicodin if you need it," she told him.

"I told you that I don't," he reminded her.

Sophie nodded.

"I'll call you when I land," she told him.

"I'll be waiting," he replied.

They kissed once more, this time desperately, as if they were trying to memorize the feel of each other's lips, holding each other as close as they could.

"I love you," Chase said, lingering on her lips.

"I love you, too," Sophie said, feeling a tear roll down her cheek.

Chase reluctantly broke off their kiss and wiped off the tiny tear with his thumb.

"Now go before I never let you leave," Chase said, feeling his voice catch in his throat.

Sophie nodded, took her suitcase by the handle and left.

Chase closed the door behind her, remained in the foyer for a moment, and then turned around.

He managed to make it back to his bedroom, where his crutches were waiting for him.

On the night- stand, two prescription bottles were waiting for him.

One was Motrin.

The other was Vicodin.

Feeling his ankle begin to throb slightly, he exhaled, grabbed both bottles and shoved both of them into each of the front pocket of his jeans.

He then grabbed his crutches and headed for the kitchen, where his messenger bag was waiting for him.

Today was his first day back at work.

And he knew that whatever temporary task Cuddy was going to assign him while he was on the mend, he couldn't do it in pain.

TBC…


	12. Chapter 12

**HI EVERYONE!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHT AND ENJOY!! :-) **

********************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 12: Please read and comment.**

An hour later, Wilson and Sophie were waiting together on the very long winding line at Newark Airport's shuttle terminal behind other aggravated and impatient travelers that Monday morning.

Wilson was holding the handle of Sophie's small suitcase and dragging it along as they inched closer to the front of the line to check in for her flight back to Boston.

"I'm glad you didn't have Chase take you to their airport," Wilson said from his position behind her on line.

"Why's that?" Sophie asked.

"Because you've been home for a week, and I've hardly seen you," Wilson replied with a lopsided grin, giving her shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

"I know. I'm sorry," she said, returning his smile with a sheepish one of her own.

"…Why didn't you have Chase take you to the airport?" Wilson asked her with curiosity.

"He's starting back at work today and he wanted to go in early," Sophie replied.

"…And…" Wilson said, leaning forward slightly to prompt her.

"And… we thought it would be better to say 'good- bye' to each other in private instead of in front of a whole bunch of strangers," Sophie admitted.

"So when's the next time you're gonna see each other?" Wilson asked her.

"A few weeks, I guess," Sophie replied.

Wilson nodded and looked at his sister contemplatively, knowing that she was trying to hide her true feelings about going back to school and being separated from Chase.

"Anyway, I'll be busy with school work and I'm starting my peds rotation—" Sophie began with a dismissive shrug.

"Sophie, it's ok to tell me that you're gonna miss your boyfriend," Wilson interrupted her.

Sophie gave him a weak, melancholy smile.

She knew that despite the passage of time that her brother hadn't gotten over losing Amber yet, and she didn't feel comfortable shoving her happiness about her new relationship with Chase in her brother's face.

"You don't think that I want my little sister to be happy?" Wilson asked her, knowing exactly what she was thinking.

The sadness left Sophie's smile at how his warm brown eyes were gazing at her.

"I guess you wouldn't have given Robbie the key to my apartment so he could fill it with flowers if you didn't," Sophie admitted.

"That's right," Wilson agreed.

"You should finally ask that girl Debbie from accounting out," Sophie told him as they inched up further on the line.

"I don't think I'm ready for that," Wilson said with a chuckle.

"Then you should take her on a date just to shove it in House's face. He's been harassing you about her for years," Sophie pointed out.

"And he'll harass me even worse if I DO take her out," Wilson said.

"You've got a point," Sophie said with a nod.

They were silent for a few moments as they continued to wait on line.

"I'm sorry about how House treated you at Cuddy's party yesterday," Wilson said, breaking their silence.

"I'm not," Sophie replied simply.

Wilson furrowed his brow in confusion at his sister's answer.

"House was right. I can't jump to a diagnosis just because a few symptoms seem to fit," Sophie told him.

"All doctors do that. INCLUDING House," Wilson stated.

"And just so you know, I don't think that your diagnosis of Chase possibly being addicted to Vicodin was completely ridiculous," Wilson added.

Sophie gave him a knowing, appreciative smile.

"And I'm NOT just saying that because I'm your brother," he added quickly.

"So you think Dr. Nathan was right to write him a script for only twelve pills?" Sophie asked him.

Wilson paused and exhaled before answer her.

"I think… that opiates can be quite appealing under the right circumstances," Wilson replied.

"Well, then I guess I did the wrong thing by telling him to take the pills that Allison sent him if he needs them," Sophie said with a slight laugh.

Wilson narrowed his eyebrows and looked at her curiously.

"Wait a minute. You were so scared that Chase was becoming addicted—" Wilson began.

"And I was wrong," Sophie interrupted him.

"… Sophie…" Wilson began.

"It doesn't matter. He told me that he's not gonna take them anyway," Sophie said, waving her hand dismissively. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Around ten minutes later, Sophie had checked in and was holding her suitcase and her boarding pass in her hand, standing in front of Wilson.

"Well, I'd better go if I don't want to miss my flight," she said.

Wilson nodded and took his wallet out of his back pocket, producing five one- hundred dollar bills. Sophie tsked and shook her head.

"I'm not taking your money," Sophie stated firmly, pushing his hand away.

"Sophie, you lost your job at O'Sullivans. You need cash," Wilson insisted.

"I make more money grinding it out at the poker tables than I ever did at O'Sullivans and you know it," Sophie pointed out with a smug grin.

Wilson shot her a disapproving look. He had always been impressed with his sister's poker skills, but he was never happy about the fact that she went to underground casinos in her spare time to earn pocket money.

But he knew that she was too stubborn to change her mind.

Instead, he pulled her in close for a hug and kissed her cheek.

"Have a safe flight," Wilson told her.

Sophie hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek in return. She then took her bag by the handle and headed for the security check- in.

"Bye big bro," Sophie said, squeezing his hand once more.

"Bye little So," Wilson replied, rubbing the top of her hand with his thumb.

They let go of each other's hands. Wilson thrust his hands in his pockets and watched her walk away from him, her words about Chase echoing in his ears:

"IT DOESN'T MATTER. HE TOLD ME THAT HE'S NOT GONNA TAKE THEM."

"Everybody lies, Sophie," Wilson said softly to no one.

"Even Chase."

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time that morning, House pushed open the door to Cuddy's office. Cuddy was sitting at her desk, looking over an Excel spread sheet on her computer monitor.

"You rang?" House said in a low, eerie voice.

Not taking her eyes off the monitor, Cuddy picked up a dark blue patient's file from her desk and handed it out to him as he moved closer to her.

"Thirty two year old female suffering from headaches, nausea, dizziness and weakness in her legs," Cuddy rattled off.

"Maybe she's pregnant," House stated as he took the file from her.

"I'm thinking Transient Ischemic Attacks, but you can make her pee in a cup if you want," Cuddy said.

House smirked slightly as he kept his gaze on her.

"So what did the pee in YOUR cup say this morning?" House asked her knowingly.

Cuddy looked away from her monitor in complete shock at House.

"How did you know I took a pregnancy test this morning?!" she demanded.

"Why else would you put a pillow under your shirt?" House asked her.

The shocked look on Cuddy's face remained, completely amazed that House could ascertain that she had taken a pregnancy test because she had shoved a pillow underneath her camisole that morning as she was getting dressed.

"And I found an opened ept box in the bathroom trash can this morning," he added.

Cuddy's incredulous look disappeared as she nodded her head slowly, her focus returning to her computer monitor.

"It was negative," Cuddy told him flatly.

"Why didn't you just go upstairs to Gynecology? Their test is more accurate," House asked her.

"Because I didn't want anyone to see me and this place is a gossip mill," Cuddy replied.

House sat down at one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"You're upset," House declared.

"I'm not upset," Cuddy replied, not looking at him.

"Then you're disappointed," House rephrased.

At that moment, Chase entered Cuddy's office with the help of a very pretty brunette nurse wearing pink scrubs. The nurse was holding the door open for Chase as Chase hobbled into Cuddy's office on his crutches with a pained expression on his face. The nurse followed him to the nearest couch and eased Chase down onto it.

"Thank you so much for your help," Chase told her sweetly, flashing the pretty nurse one of his dazzling smiles. "It's so hard to get around on these things."

"My pleasure. Would you like me to get you some coffee or anything?" the nurse asked him.

House and Cuddy exchanged amused glances at each other at the way that Chase was manipulating his situation. Chase caught their glance but didn't acknowledge it.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you again," Chase replied.

The nurse smiled at him and left Cuddy's office. Chase watched her from behind as she did so.

"Chronic pain has its advantages, doesn't it?" House stated knowingly to Chase after the nurse left.

"I'm starting to think so," Chase admitted, still watching her through the glass doors.

"She's hot. You think Sophie's into threesomes?" House asked.

Chase's eyes widened in outward shock at House's statement, trying to hide any indication on his face that inside he was actually mulling over the possibility in his mind.

"I doubt it," Cuddy said, before Chase's imagination ran away with itself.

"And can you two finish this fascinating discussion in House's office instead of in here?" Cuddy added.

House and Chase exchanged confused looks and then turned their attention back to Cuddy.

"Why in MY office?" House asked her.

"That's where I'm assigning Chase temporarily until he's back on both feet," Cuddy replied, turning to face both of them as she clasped her hands together and entwining her fingers.

Chase's eyes widened tremendously.

"I don't know if you've been keeping up with the various plot lines around here, but I FIRED him a year and a half ago," House said, gesturing to Chase with his cane.

"Which means he doesn't work for you anymore. He works for ME. Which means I decide where he goes, and you don't," Cuddy stated matter- of- factly.

House glared at Chase, expecting him to look away with fear.

But Chase stared right back at him.

"Have fun, boys," Cuddy said in a sing- song voice.

House turned to Chase and penetrated him with his eyes.

"Don't think I'M gonna be nice to you just because you're a cripple," House stated.

"Wasn't expecting you to," Chase replied calmly, meeting his stare with one of his own.

House turned away and left Cuddy's office without holding the door open for him.

Cuddy got up off her chair and held the door for Chase as he managed to get up off her couch and made his way to the door.

"Good luck," Cuddy told him.

"Why are you doing this?" Chase asked her suspiciously.

"Because you can't stand in the OR and I don't need any help in the Clinic right now," Cuddy replied simply.

"You know what I mean," Chase said. "Why are you making us work together?"

"...Because after Cameron left, you're the only doctor in this hospital that can stand working with him," Cuddy said.

Chase arched his eyebrow slightly, knowing that there was more to that answer.

"…And Foreman and Hadley are busy with the Huntington's trials and Kutner by himself isn't a team," Cuddy said.

Chase continued to stare at her, waiting for the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

"He needs you," Cuddy finally admitted.

Chase exhaled in exasperation, thinking that in a few hours, he just might need to take one of the Vicodin in his pocket after all.

TBC…


	13. Chapter 13

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

**************************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 13: Please read and comment.**

A few moments later, House limped through the glass doors of his office conference room. Chase was following behind him on his crutches.

"New patient," House announced to Kutner, who was sitting at the table.

House didn't bother to hold the door open for Chase.

The heavy glass door to House's office closed behind him, almost hitting Chase in the face. Chase managed to stop just in time before the door slammed on him.

Through the glass, Chase shot House a glaring look at his back.

Kutner, seeing Chase at the door, immediately got up and opened the door for him.

"Thanks," Chase mumbled, shooting a look of hatred at House, who didn't seem to notice.

"Thirty- two year old female, complaining of headaches, nausea, dizziness and pain in her legs,"

"Sounds like Transient Ischemic Attacks," Kutner said.

"But what's causing them?" House asked.

"Could be a blood clot in her brain," Chase suggested as Kutner helped him ease into a chair at House's conference table.

"Hmmm. Her brain. If only I had a NEUROLOGIST on my team," House said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Foreman's busy. Could also be a complication of diabetes," Chase said.

"Diabetes is rare. Could be Atherosclerosis," Kutner suggested.

"Chase knows I like rare. That's why he said it," House said, locking eyes with Chase.

Chase cocked his head and folded his arms across his chest, meeting House's stare.

"Kutner, test for Atherosclerosis," House told him.

Kutner glanced at Chase, who exhaled loudly. Kutner then got up from the table and left House and Chase alone in the conference room.

"I assume you're trying to make me miserable BESIDES the fact that you're an a$$," Chase commented.

"Nope," House said.

"That's comforting," Chase said, perusing through the file.

"And you're ALREADY miserable," House pointed out.

"And why is that," Chase asked with little interest, not looking up from the file.

"Your girlfriend's gone and your ankle hurts," House replied.

Chase glanced up for a second at House and then back down at the file.

"My ankle's fine," Chase muttered.

House limped over to Chase's chair and tapped Chase's injured ankle lightly with his cane.

"_FUCK_!" Chase cried out in agony, pulling his leg up towards him in response to House's light tap.

"Yeah, I can see that," House said sarcastically.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Chase exclaimed, still holding his leg.

"What the hell is wrong with YOU?!" House shot back.

Chase stared at House incredulously, having absolutely no idea what the he11 he was talking about.

"TAKE THE VICODIN!" House yelled at him.

"What is this, high school? You trying to peer pressure me into taking drugs?" Chase demanded.

"No, I'm trying to knock some sense into you!" House told him angrily.

"The Motrin's enough," Chase declared.

"You're an IDIOT," House spat out at him.

Chase checked his watch. "Wow. It took you a whole ten minutes to call me that. Am I blushing?"

"I know you too well to believe that you have some moral high ground for avoiding pain killers," House said to him, penetrating him with his stare.

At this, Chase said nothing and finally looked away from House's piercing eyes.

Because he was right.

"…I told Sophie that I didn't need them," Chase mumbled.

House nodded slowly, smirking slightly at him. He sat down in one of the chairs at the conference table across from Chase and waited for him to reveal all.

"She told me to take them if I needed to… but she was so worried about me, so I told her that I wouldn't take them—" Chase began.

"Sophie's a third year med student. You're a doctor. You know that there's a difference between addiction to drugs and needing drugs for pain," House interrupted impatiently.

Chase squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.

"…I- I can't…" Chase stammered.

"Because you promised Sophie you wouldn't?" House demanded.

"Because Sophie was RIGHT," Chase confessed.

A truly surprised look crossed House's face. His lips parted, as if he was about to speak, but Chase did before he got the chance.

"After the first seven… I started feeling a sharp increase in pain right before it was time to take another one," Chase confessed.

House remained silent as Chase continued, knowing exactly what he was feeling.

"And then after I took it—" Chase continued.

"It didn't work as effectively as the earlier pills did," House finished for him.

Chase nodded. "Which is why I have to stick to the Motrin," he said.

"Then why are you carrying both the Vicodin and the Motrin with you?" House asked him.

"…H- how did you know—" Chase stammered.

"I assume the bulges in your jeans pockets aren't because you're happy to see me," House quipped.

Chase looked down at his jeans and realized that both bottles were visible through his pockets.

He sighed, took the Vicodin bottle out of his pocket and placed it on the glass conference table.

House picked up the bottle and looked at it, reading Cameron's name to himself on the bottle. He picked it up and shook the remaining three pills left in it.

"And you asked Cameron to write you the script because you knew that no other doctor in this hospital would write you one because Nathan already short changed you," House said.

Chase nodded slowly, closing his eyes.

"Pretty clever end around," House said, getting up from the table, putting Chase's bottle of Vicodin back on the table.

Chase opened his eyes and watched House as he walked over to the coffee counter and grab his red mug to fill it with the coffee that Kutner had made that morning.

"So I assume you're gonna rat me out to Cuddy and tell her that I'm drug dependent," Chase mumbled.

"Nope," House said.

Chase's eyes widened in shock.

"Like you said. This isn't high school," House said. 

--------------------------------------------------------------

That afternoon, Cameron was in her office at NYU hospital. She was going over a chart of her latest patient after dismissing her team to run a series of tests.

As she carefully read the chart, she was trying to ignore the glass vase of long- stemmed red roses adorned with greenery and baby's breath that she had found on her desk that morning.

There was no card attached.

But Cameron was pretty sure who they were from.

"I see you got the flowers," a familiar male voice said.

Cameron looked up and saw that Neil Stern was standing in the doorway of her office, holding the glass door open with one hand, his other hand in his pants pocket. She smiled sheepishly and put down the file she was reading.

"They're beautiful, thank you," Cameron said.

Stern returned her smile and slowly approached her. He sat down at one of the chairs in front of her mahogany desk, gazing at her with his sparkling hazel eyes.

"I had a great time the other night," Stern said.

"…So did I…" Cameron began.

Stern was about to reply to her, but Cameron interrupted him before he could get a word out.

"But… I don't think we should do it again," she said.

Stern's face fell slightly, but seemed to wear a knowing look.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Well, first of all, you're my boss—" she said.

"And second of all, I didn't call you when I said that I would," Stern finished for her.

Cameron chuckled and shrugged.

"I'm sorry," he said, keeping his eyes on her.

Cameron nodded, keeping a tiny smile on her face.

"Would it help if there was a story that went along with my apology?" he asked her.

"That might help," Cameron admitted, her smile remaining.

"I wound up spending two hours with that donor I told you about. And then my ex- wife called because the heat in her apartment broke so I had to go over there and fix it. Then she insisted on making me dinner…" Stern said, trailing off.

"I didn't know that you still talk to your ex- wife," Cameron said with a furrowed brow.

"Only when I have to," he said in exasperation.

Cameron laughed again. "Did you at least get the donation for the lab?" she asked him.

At this, Stern's face brightened considerably. "Sure did," he told her proudly.

"That's great," Cameron said, her face brightening as well.

Neil looked down momentarily and then back up at her face again, admiring how her green eyes shimmered when she smiled.

"I was… kinda hoping the flowers would help smooth things over a little," Stern admitted.

"Yeah, I figured as much," Cameron said.

"Did they?" Stern asked her, raising his eyebrow just a bit.

"A little," Cameron said coyly.

Stern then reached across her desk and took her hand gently in his.

"Will you give me another chance?" Stern asked her softly.

Cameron couldn't ignore the tingle that moved through her body as he held her hand, rubbing his thumb over her skin.

"Do you want another chance?" she asked him.

"Yes," Stern replied.

"Ok. On one condition," Cameron said.

"Name it," Stern said.

Cameron took her hand out of Stern's and leaned back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest.

"You have to tell me what the story is between you and Lisa Cuddy," Cameron stated.

"There's no story between me and Lisa Cuddy," Stern said, feigning innocence.

"You said that you have a love- hate relationship with her and that, and I quote, 'I don't want the details.'" Cameron said, a grin playing about her features.

"Yeah, so?" Stern said, unable to keep the grin off his own face.

"Telling someone that they don't want the details means that the details are worth wanting," Cameron stated confidently.

"Spoken like a former employee of House," Stern replied, just as confidently.

Cameron maintained her stare across her desk at him as well as her grin, refusing to relent.

"Ok, I'll tell you," Stern acquiesced.

"IF you go out for dinner with me tonight," Stern added quickly.

"…You like Chinese?" Cameron asked him playfully. 

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

That night, Sophie was lying on her bed in her apartment, reading over her coursepack that she had received on her first day of her peds rotations when her cell phone rang.

She smiled happily when "**ROBBIE**," appeared on her Caller ID.

"If this isn't an incredibly hot, blonde Australian, I'm hanging up," Sophie teased into the phone.

"Then you're in luck," Chase said on the other end, thickening his accent tremendously for her.

Sophie laughed. "Hey baby," she said.

"What are you doing?" Chase asked her in a low voice.

Sophie bit her lip as she felt a delicious tingle between her legs at the sound of his voice.

"…Studying," she said.

"What a shock," Chase quipped.

"How was your first day back?" Sophie asked him.

"Well, Cuddy assigned me to work with House until I'm back on my feet," Chase told her on the other end.

"Well if that isn't a reason to take Vicodin, I don't know what is," Sophie joked.

Chase chuckled and stretched out his legs on his bed, placing one of his hands behind his head.

"What are you wearing?" Chase asked her huskily.

"…Your sweatshirt," Sophie replied, matching his sexy tone.

"What else?" Chase asked.

"Not much," Sophie admitted coyly.

"Care to be specific?" Chase asked hopefully, feeling his erection swell in his pajama pants.

"Pink and white striped low cut string panties," Sophie replied softly.

"Ohhh, you're killing me," Chase moaned.

"What a way to go," Sophie said in a sultry voice.

"…You want to?" Chase asked, shifting on the bed.

Sophie paused and grinned, knowing that 'YOU WANT TO?' was the code that they had developed for 'DO YOU WANT TO HAVE PHONE SEX?'

"Do you?" she asked him, feeling her own arousal grow at his suggestion.

Chase leaned over to the night stand, grabbed his bottle of Vicodin, popped the top open with his thumb, took out a pill and swallowed it dry.

"Yeah," Chase said eagerly.

TBC…


	14. Chapter 14

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE WONDERFUL REVIEWS AND FOR READING!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHT AND ENJOY!! :-)**

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**CHAPTER 14: Please read and comment.**

…You want to?" Chase asked Sophie over the phone, shifting on his bed.

Sophie paused and grinned, knowing that 'YOU WANT TO?' was the code that they had developed for 'DO YOU WANT TO HAVE PHONE SEX?'

"Do you?" she asked him, feeling her own arousal grow at his suggestion.

Chase leaned over to the night stand, grabbed his bottle of Vicodin, popped the top open with his thumb, took out a pill and swallowed it dry.

"Yeah," Chase said eagerly.

"You wanna start?" Sophie asked him, stretching her toned and shapely legs out in front of her on her own bed.

"Let's play a game," Chase said suggestively.

"What kind of a game?" Sophie asked him sexily, leaning on her side.

"Let's play, 'I wish,'" Chase said, feeling his erection throb in his pajama pants at the sound of her voice.

"How you do play that?" Sophie asked, her interest piqued as the space between her legs began to tingle.

"We each take turns telling each other what we wish for," Chase told her softly.

"Sounds like fun," Sophie said as a small smile played on her lips.

"But you can't repeat what the other person says," Chase added, knowing that she loved it when he made up little rules to their games.

"How do you win?" Sophie asked.

"Trust me, you'll figure it out," Chase assured her.

"You go first," Sophie said.

"I wish… I was kissing your beautiful mouth right now," Chase told her huskily.

"So do I," Sophie breathed, feeling her excitement begin to grow already.

"No no no. You can't say that. You have to tell me what you wish for," Chase scolded her gently.

Sophie smirked, knowing full well that Chase was trying to make her talk dirty.

They had had phone sex a few times already, but most of the time, he had done the talking, because Sophie felt hesitant to get too graphic.

But tonight, Chase was determined to change that.

"I'm not gonna get out of this, am I?" Sophie asked with a grin.

"Not this time," Chase said, grinning in response over the phone.

Sophie bit her lip and closed her eyes.

She let her hand drift down to her abdomen, lifted up Chase's sweatshirt on her, and began to lightly brush her skin on her belly with her fingertips.

"…I wish… I could feel your tongue in my mouth," Sophie whispered.

"Mmm…" Chase said approvingly. "I wish I was kissing and biting on your neck."

"I wish I was running my fingers through the back of your hair while you kissed my neck," Sophie added.

"I wish I was warming your beautiful breast with my palm... stroking your pretty, perky, nipple with my thumb," Chase told her.

Sophie's breath hitched as her hand began to drift upwards on her own body.

"No fair," she said softly.

Chase reached into his own pajama pants and began to slowly stroke his erection.

"Your turn," Chase reminded her.

Sophie unzipped Chase's hooded sweatshirt on her.

On a whim, she brushed her thumb against her nipple and closed her eyes.

"I wish you could see what I was doing," Sophie said breathlessly.

"Tell me," Chase whispered.

Sophie's breathing became shallow, but she didn't respond as she circled her own thumb around her erect nipple and areola.

"Please," Chase begged gently.

"...Rob—" Sophie began, feeling suddenly embarrassed.

"You can do it," Chase said coaxingly.

Sophie felt a wonderful tingle between her legs, knowing that he was thickening his accent for her pleasure.

"...I'm pretending my thumb is your thumb," Sophie finally said.

"Are you stroking your nipple?" Chase asked her tenderly.

"...Yes," Sophie said, barely above a whisper.

"I wish your thumb was my mouth," Chase told her.

Sophie gasped. "I wish I could touch you," she said.

"I wish I could feel your hand on me," Chase said, the arousal increasing in his voice as he still stroked himself.

Sophie slid her hand down underneath her panties and whimpered slightly as she brushed the elusive spot that Chase always found on her. Her breath began to come out in ragged gasps as she pleasured herself.

"I wish I could touch you where you're touching yourself," Chase said, his own breath becoming ragged as he felt the pressure build up between his legs at every stroke.

"I wish you could taste where you wish you were touching me," Sophie said, her voice becoming slightly higher.

"Oh god, that's good," Chase said desperately.

Sophie's whimpering became sexy little cries as she felt her orgasm begin to build.

"I wish I was buried deep inside you, feeling your wetness around me," Chase said breathlessly.

"Oh baby, so do I," Sophie cried out.

"… You lost," Chase managed to say.

"...Damn..." Sophie said.

"Come for me baby," Chase told her.

"Oh god!" Sophie cried out over the phone as waves of pleasure crashed over her. She arched back on the bed as lovely contractions overtook her

Chase groaned loudly as he climaxed powerfully a few seconds later.

--------------------------------------------------------

After their breathing had relaxed, Sophie leaned over on her side on her bed with an extremely satisfied smile on her face.

"Are you ok?" Chase asked her on the other end.

"I'm VERY ok," Sophie replied happily.

Chase grinned, incredibly thrilled that he had satisfied her merely by talking dirty to her.

"…Robbie?" Sophie asked.

"Hmmm?" Chase asked her.

"… Did you—" Sophie began tentatively.

"Yes," Chase assured her.

Sophie smiled. "How's your ankle?" she asked him.

Chase looked over at his bottle of Vicodin on the night- stand, which now only had two pills left after he had taken one before they had phone sex.

"It's fine," he told her. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, House entered the cafeteria and saw Wilson sitting in a booth with Debbie from accounting, chatting with her and smiling over two mugs of coffee and bagels.

House smirked and limped up to their booth. Both Wilson and Debbie were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn't see House until he was standing right next to them.

"Well, this is cozy. Mind if I join you?" House asked, plastering an overly- friendly look on his face.

Wilson and Debbie exchanged hesitant glances at each other.

"Actually, we were kinda in the middle of something—" Debbie began.

"Great!" House interrupted enthusiastically, sliding into the booth next to Wilson.

House folded his hands together on the table top and smiled at Debbie.

"So what are we talking about?" House asked her eagerly.

Wilson merely shook his head in annoyance and grunted almost imperceptibly.

Debbie looked back and forth between the two men, noting Wilson's irritated expression.

"I'll… see you later, James," Debbie said before leaving the table.

After both men watched her leave from behind, House got out of Wilson's side of the booth and sat across from him.

"'Later,' as in sometime this decade, or 'later' as in 'later this evening?'" House asked Wilson in extreme interest.

"If I buy you breakfast, will you leave me alone?" Wilson asked him.

"No," House replied, shaking his head.

Wilson exhaled, knowing that House wasn't going to let up until he told him the truth.

"We… have a date tonight," Wilson mumbled.

"Seriously?" House asked him.

"It's just dinner," Wilson began. "It was Sophie's idea—"

"Good for you," House interrupted him.

Wilson actually did a double- take at House's words.

"WHAT did you say?" Wilson asked him in shock.

"I said 'good for you,'" House repeated with a slight shrug.

Wilson's jaw dropped open slightly.

"… Uh…" Wilson said.

"What? Is it so unbelievable that I'm happy for you?" House demanded.

"Yes!" Wilson exclaimed.

House smirked and took Wilson's bagel away from him, ripping off a piece and stuffing it in his mouth.

"I'm in a good mood," House said with a mouth full of bagel.

"Just how much sex are you and Cuddy having lately?" Wilson asked, arching his eyebrow in curiosity as he picked up his coffee mug to take a sip.

Just then, House saw Chase limp over to a nearby table. A different nurse, this time a cute, petite redhead was carrying his tray for him.

Chase smiled at her and thanked her as she placed his tray onto the table and helped him ease into the chair.

After the redhead nurse left Chase at the table, Chase reached into his pants pocket.

House kept his eyes on Chase as he watched him quickly pop a Vicodin into his mouth from the bottle and wash it down with the coffee on his tray.

"What's so fascinating?" Wilson asked him, following his stare to see Chase sipping his coffee, unaware that Chase had swallowed a pill a few seconds later.

"Nothing," House said, narrowing his eyes slightly as he watched Chase eat his breakfast.

"Something's got your attention," a familiar female voice said next to them.

Both Wilson and House looked up from their vigil on Chase and saw Cuddy standing next to them.

For a brief moment, House considered the pros and cons of revealing to Cuddy and Wilson about Chase's Vicodin habit.

House then looked up at Cuddy and then at Wilson.

"...Wilson's taking Debbie from accounting out for dinner tonight," House finally said.

***************************************************

A little while later, Kutner and Chase were in House's office. Chase was sitting at House's desk while Kutner was lounging in House's chair and ottoman.

They were tossing House's red ball back and forth when House walked in. holding their current patient's file.

"Who said you two could play with daddy's toys?" House demanded lightly.

Kutner, who had just caught the ball, felt a flush creep up his cheeks.

"Sorry," he mumbled, contritely handing the ball back to House.

"Did you bother to check on the patient before the First Annual House's Red Ball Toss Off?" House asked.

"She tested negative for Atherosclerosis," Chase told him.

"Well that's good, because if our thirty- two year old female had tested POSITIVE for it, she'd be DEAD by now," House stated.

"Could still be diabetes," Chase said.

"She doesn't HAVE any symptoms of diabetes," Kutner reminded Chase in slight irritation.

"So… frequent urination and increased thirst AREN'T symptoms of diabetes?" House asked in a snarky voice, thrusting the file at Kutner.

"That's not in the history," Kutner said as he quickly opened the file and began to read through it.

"That's because she neglected to MENTION it when we took her history the first time," House told him.

At this, Kutner and Chase glanced at each other in surprise and then turned their attention to House.

"YOU SPOKE TO A PATIENT?" Kutner exclaimed.

"Wait a minute. You REJECTED my diabetes theory yesterday," Chase told him.

"Because yesterday, it was IDIOTIC," House argued.

"And today?" Chase asked him, leaning back in House's chair and folding his arms across his chest with a smug little grin on his face.

House kept his gaze even with Chase's self- righteous stare, the corners of his lips turning upwards.

"…Kutner, go test the patient for diabetes. Gimpy, you stay with me," House said.

Kutner nodded, got up from House's chair and left the two men in House's office.

"So you spoke to a patient. What's the occasion?" Chase asked, tilting his head slightly.

"He11 froze over. You didn't get the memo?" House asked him.

"What's going on?" Chase asked with interest.

House sat down in his leather chair and rested his right leg on the ottoman in front of it.

"I'm in a good mood," House replied simply.

"Since when?" Chase asked in disbelief.

"Since your boss has decided that her favorite pastime is riding Mt. Gregory," House replied, waggling his eyebrows in an exaggerated motion at Chase.

Chase raised both eyebrows very subtly in slight disgust.

"PLEASE turn back time so I can pretend that you never said that," Chase told him.

"How's Sophie?" House asked out of nowhere.

Chase furrowed his brow. "…She's fine," Chase replied, not sure why House would be asking about her.

"Does she know about your Vicodin abuse?" House asked him.

Chase rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I'm not abusing Vicodin," Chase stated flatly.

"How many pills have you taken since yesterday morning?" House asked him.

"None," Chase lied easily.

"That means 'two,'" House stated, without missing a beat.

At first Chase stared at him, completely dumbfounded.

House motioned to Chase with his hand in a 'gimme' gesture.

Knowing that he had no choice, Chase lolled his head back before finally digging into his pocket and tossing the Vicodin bottle across the room at him, which House caught deftly in his right hand.

House smiled slightly when he saw there was only one pill left in the bottle.

"How do you DO that?" Chase demanded.

"I saw you take one this morning in the cafeteria… I'm assuming you took one last night… and I was always good at math," House replied.

Chase exhaled and placed his elbows on House's desk, leaning his head in his hands.

"So after you take THIS pill… that means you'll have to dip into the script that Cameron sent you," House declared.

Chase nodded, silently, his head still in his hands.

"I know that they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—" House began mockingly.

"Yeah, I'm taking Vicodin so I can be more like YOU," Chase said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he looked up at House.

"Well it's either that, or you really ARE abusing it," House stated.

Chase closed his mouth, licking his lips nervously, knowing that he had to come clean.

"… I was on the phone with Sophie last night… and I took one without even thinking twice about it," Chase confessed.

"Did you feel any pain in your leg?" House asked him.

Chase nodded slowly. "Right before I took it."

"But you didn't consider taking the Motrin," House said.

Chase shook his head 'no.'

"You know… technically it's better for me and this hospital if go to Cuddy about this," House told him.

"Yeah, I know," Chase said somberly.

Chase then dug into his other pants pocket, producing the bottle of Vicodin that Cameron had prescribed for him.

"Which is why you have to take this from me," Chase told him as he tossed that bottle across the room as well.

House bobbled the bottle in his hands after catching it, actually surprised.

"You're giving ME your secret stash," House clarified.

"If I give it to Cuddy, she'll know I'm becoming addicted. If I give it to WILSON, he'll tell Sophie about it," Chase explained.

House smirked again.

"I knew there was a brain inside that pretty head," House told him.

"Enjoy them," Chase said with a snort.

"You're gonna experience withdrawal symptoms," House told him.

"I know," Chase said flatly.

Just then, Chase's pager went off on his hip. He managed to get up with some difficulty. Grabbing his crutches, he limped for the door.

To Chase's surprise, House got up off his chair and held the door open for him.

Chase glanced at House in slight surprise at his sudden kind gesture before making his way out of House's office.

After Chase left, House limped over to the bookshelf behind his desk.

He pulled out a lupus textbook, opened it, placed Chase's bottle of Vicodin in the rectangular shaped hole he had cut out of it years ago, and placed the book back on the shelf. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

That night, Chase was hunched over his toilet in his apartment, vomiting violently.

As he emptied whatever was left of the contents of his stomach, his ankle throbbed mercilessly.

Somewhere nearby, Chase's cell phone was ringing.

Wiping his mouth with a nearby towel, he gasped for a breath and managed to reach over to his phone, which happened to be right next to him.

As a layer of sweat formed on his body giving him the chills, he saw 'SOPHIE' appear on his caller ID.

As another wave of nausea overtook him, he dropped the phone on the floor and hunched over the toilet again, never bothering to answer the call.

TBC…


	15. Chapter 15

**HI EVERYONE!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING! :-)**

**I HOPE YOU LIKE IT, BECAUSE IT WAS QUITE CHALLENGING.  
**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

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**CHAPTER 15: Please read and comment**.

That night, Wilson and Debbie were enjoying dinner at Elements, a restaurant that served interpretive American cuisine. Teak, maple and quarry stone architecture warmed the interior, while the open layout, diffused lighting, and textured fabrics comprised a soothing backdrop to the place.

They were sitting perpendicular to each other at a small, intimate, square table. A tiny candle floating in a round glass bowl cast a warm glow over both of them as they enjoyed their first course. Wilson had ordered a Roasted Beet salad, complimented with goat cheese, arugula and candied nuts while Debbie had opted for the Citrus Salad with Maine lobster, avocado, mache and cashews.

"I can't believe how House embarrassed you today in the cafeteria," Debbie remarked.

"Believe me. That's nothing," Wilson assured her with a smile, wiping his lips with his napkin.

"I believe you," Debbie said, returning his smile as she took a sip of her Chardonnay.

Wilson chuckled slightly as he took a sip of wine from his own glass.

"You guys have been friends for a long time," Debbie commented.

"Yes we have," Wilson said as he admired her features that were illuminated by the soft candlelight at the table and her navy- blue sleeveless slip dress.

For years, Wilson had always found Debbie attractive. Blond, petite, shapely and very pretty, she managed to turn quite a few heads at PPTH.

And tonight was no exception.

She had chosen to wear her pin- straight blond hair down this evening. It cascaded down her shoulders and back, and somehow drew Wilson's attention to the deep v- neck of her dress, which accented the cleavage of her round and perky breasts perfectly.

Wilson wondered what her breasts would feel like in his hands.

"You must have the patience of a saint to deal with him," Debbie said, snapping him out of his haze.

"I don't know about sainthood, but I certainly have a good sense of humor," Wilson quipped.

The soft smile remained on Debbie's face as she admired Wilson's boyish good looks and the sweet dimple that appeared on his left cheek when he smiled. Wilson was wearing a crisp cobalt blue shirt with the top button opened, a black jacket and black pants and looked strikingly handsome.

"I'm really glad you finally asked me out," Debbie said softly.

"So am I," Wilson said, meeting her gaze.

"…I didn't think you'd be ready to date so soon after Amber," Debbie said tentatively.

"Neither did I, but my sister convinced me otherwise," Wilson said warmly.

Debbie placed her hand on top of Wilson's hand and leaned closer to him, taking in the subtle scent of his cologne.

"Remind me to thank her," Debbie murmured, reaching up to touch his face.

"I could give her a call," Wilson teased, getting lost in her sparkling blue eyes.

"Later," Debbie whispered, as she captured his lips in a lingering kiss.

As Wilson felt his cock stir in his pants at the feel of her luscious full lips on his, he definitely agreed that calling his sister could wait. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time, Sophie was in her apartment, attempting to study the most common forms atopic dermatitis in infants.

But she couldn't.

It had been over three hours since she had left Chase a message on his cell phone, and he still hadn't called her back.

She reached for her phone to call him again, but shook her head vehemently as she decided against it.

_"RELAX. HE'S PROBABLY ON CALL OR SOMETHING. YOU KNOW DOCTORS KEEP WEIRD HOURS. STOP THINKING THE WORST_," Sophie thought firmly to herself.

Just then, Sophie's cell phone came to life on her desk next to her, making her jump slightly in her seat. She exhaled with relief, not bothering to look at the caller ID as she flipped open her phone.

"Hi honey," Sophie said sweetly.

"Hi to you too, gorgeous," a low voice that wasn't Chase's said on the other end.

"_FUCK_," Sophie thought to herself.

She recognized the voice of Joey Smythe, a part- time professional poker player she had met when she had first come to Boston University as an undergrad. Two years older than her, Joey was a business major at the time and had quickly discovered Sophie's poker skills.

"Hi Joey," she muttered to the voice on the other end.

"I'm assuming that you weren't expecting to hear from me," Joey said coyly.

"What do you want?" Sophie demanded flatly.

"Interested in making some bank?" Joey asked her.

Sophie raised an eyebrow in intrigue.

"Depends. How much?" she asked, trying to keep the interest out of her voice.

"Fifteen grand," Joey replied.

"You knock over a Starbucks or something?" Sophie snarked.

"Nope. I just found a game that I thought you might be interested in," Joey told her with a grin.

At first, Sophie didn't reply. When Joey was a student, he and her often teamed up to play poker. Joey's suave demeanor and his ability to play the loser to perfection combined with Sophie's uncanny skills at cards and reading people had resulted in thick bank rolls for the both of them.

But she also knew all too well that Joey didn't like to play the game straight up. More than once, Sophie had to sweet talk the other players at the table from bashing Joey's head in after he had used his less than ethical mechanics on them.

Eventually, he had dropped out of school to make poker his career.

But he never failed to call Sophie when he had an in on a big game.

"What's the buy – in?" Sophie asked.

"A thousand," Joey told her.

"I can't afford that," Sophie said dismissively.

"I'll vouch for you," Joey told her casually.

"What's your cut?" Sophie said with suspicion.

"The usual. Twenty percent," Joey said with an exhale.

"What's the risk?" Sophie asked him.

"…Moderate," Joey answered after a rather long pause.  "Your hesitation before your answer means that "moderate," really means 'moderately high.' Forget it," Sophie stated.

"You're telling me that waitress job is paying your way?" Joey asked her.

"I'm not a waitress anymore. I got fired," Sophie muttered.

"All the more reason to take me up on my offer," Joey said with a grin on the other end.

"So the thousand that I'm gonna borrow plus the twenty percent means that you walk away with four grand free and clear and I do all the real work," Sophie said in annoyance.

"You still wind up with eleven thousand bucks in your purse that you didn't have before," Joey said.

Sophie mulled the obvious risks over in her mind of hustling in a crooked poker game with money that wasn't hers to begin with.

Including the fact that if her brother knew that she was going to do this, he would probably kill her.

But if she could walk away with eleven thousand dollars after one night of play, it would mean that she could afford to fly to Princeton to see Chase more often than once every few weeks.

"When's the game?" Sophie finally asked.

"This weekend," Joey replied, knowing that once again, he had lured her in.

"Set it up," Sophie told him. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The next morning, Cuddy and Wilson were sitting on the couch in Cuddy's office having coffee together.

"So how was your date with Debbie?" Cuddy asked him as she took a sip of her coffee.

"It was great," Wilson said enthusiastically.

"HOW great?" Cuddy asked with extreme interest as she placed her coffee mug on the glass table in front of her.

"REALLY great," Wilson replied with a grin.

Cuddy's jaw dropped slightly as a smile played about her lips.

"See, this is why all the nurses talk about you," Cuddy teased.

"I haven't slept with ALL the nurses," Wilson pointed out.

"Are you gonna go out with her again?" Cuddy asked.

"I hope so. And I'm thinking about taking her to that Valentine's Day fundraiser thing for the hospital that's coming up," Wilson said happily.

"We're looking forward to that, too," Cuddy told him.

"'WE'? As in… you and HOUSE?" Wilson asked incredulously.

"Mmm hmm," Cuddy replied.

"He actually WANTS to go to a hospital fundraiser, where he has to socialize with people in this building?" Wilson clarified.

"There's free food, free booze and me in a low- cut tight dress. He's not gonna turn that down," Cuddy said with a shrug.

"Even after you told him that there's no poker tournament this time around?" Wilson asked suspiciously.

"He wasn't crazy about that idea, but once I reminded him that he'd lose his shirt to your little sister, he changed his mind," Cuddy replied.

Wilson laughed. "He made the right choice," he said, feeling a surge of pride as he thought about his sister's poker skills.

Cuddy laughed as well as she crossed her legs in her pencil skirt and eased back against the couch.

"So how are things going with you two?" Wilson asked her.

Cuddy felt a surge of warmth overtake her as she thought of House.

Last night, they had made love in his bed, slowly and tenderly.

The way he had looked into her eyes so intensely and the feel of his naked body pressed against hers under his blanket had overwhelmed her.

She could still picture the way his eyes closed and how he had moaned softly at the feel of her touch.

She could still feel his hands holding her hips gently but possessively once they had blissfully fell into a rhythm together, as if they had been lovers for years.

"…Things are good," she said in a soft voice.

Despite Wilson's eagerness for details, he decided not to delve into exactly why Cuddy seemed to be wearing an incredibly satisfied smile on her face.

"…Are you really trying for a baby?" Wilson asked her instead.

"Yeah," Cuddy said happily.

"Does House seem… different to you?" Wilson asked her thoughtfully.

"In what way?" Cuddy asked him curiously.

"I don't know… happier, maybe?" Wilson said with a slight shrug.

Cuddy smiled. "I like to think he is," she said.

"Do you think he's feeling less pain?" Wilson asked her.

"I don't know. We don't talk about his pain," Cuddy admitted, picking up her coffee cup.

Wilson raised an eyebrow in complete surprise at this fact.

But instead of pursuing the issue further, he took a sip from his own mug, already planning on how he was going to interrogate House later on that day. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At the same time Wilson and Cuddy were talking over coffee in her office, House and Chase were riding the elevator up to House's office.

"You didn't have to come in today," House told him, staring at the numbers going up on the elevator.

"Yes I did. I work for a living," Chase muttered, leaning heavily on his crutches.

House glanced over at Chase, taking in his disheveled appearance. He had dark circles under his eyes, his face was decidedly pale and his hair was shaggy and more unkempt than usual.

"You're no use to me if you can barely hold your head up because it's been in the toilet all night," House told him.

"I'm fine," Chase said dismissively.

House rolled his eyes and reached into the pocket of his blazer.

"Here," he said unceremoniously as he handed Chase a small prescription bottle.

Chase narrowed his eyes as he took the bottle from House to read the words imprinted on it.

"Suboxone?" Chase asked in confusion.

"It'll help with the withdrawal symptoms," House explained.

"I know what it's for," Chase said in annoyance.

"Glad to see the money your dad spent on medical school didn't go to waste," House snarked.

At that moment, the elevator doors opened. House quickly left the elevator, limping slightly less than usual.

But Chase was too stunned to notice.

"Are you coming or are you gonna stand in the elevator all day?" House called to him over his shoulder.

"… Yeah," Chase finally stammered, hobbling after House, finally catching up with him.

"You only took 11 pills. The Suboxone will work fast—" House began.

"You didn't have these lying around in your desk. You actually went to the pharmacy and got these for me!" Chase exclaimed.

House didn't bother to respond to Chase and kept walking towards his office.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Chase demanded as he continued to struggle to keep up with House's pace.

At this, House stopped dead in his tracks and faced Chase head on.

"You don't think that once Cuddy sees your sorry a$$ today that she'll eventually put two and two together?" House demanded.

"So you're PROTECTING me," Chase clarified.

"If she has to put you on suspension or fire you, she won't be in the mood to put out," House said flatly.

"So, you're covering up my drug use so Cuddy will have sex with you," Chase said.

"Yes," House replied without missing a beat.

"What a load of crap," Chase stated bluntly.

Just then, Chase's cell phone rang in his pants pocket. He grimaced upon seeing 'SOPHIE' on his caller ID.

And House noticed this.

"Interesting reaction on seeing that your gorgeous girlfriend is calling you," House commented.

"She called last night when I was vomiting. I never called her back," Chase mumbled regrettably.

Chase waited one more ring before opening his phone.

"Hi honey," Chase said in an overly exaggerated morose voice.

"Hi baby," Sophie said, her voice a mixture of relief and worry on the other end.

"I'm so sorry I didn't call you back last night. I wasn't feeling very well," Chase said pathetically.

"What's wrong? Are you ok?" Sophie asked him, the worry increasing in her voice.

"I hope you have a good lie ready to tell her," House said, leaving Chase in the hallway.

Chase watched House limp away from him as he racked his brain for something to tell her other than the fact that he had been detoxing for the better part of the night.

TBC…


	16. Chapter 16

**HI EVERYONE!  
**

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**CHAPTER 16: Please read and comment.**

Chase was still on the phone with Sophie in the hallway near House's office, still racking his brain for something to tell her other than he was experiencing Vicodin withdrawal the night before.

"Honey, are you still there?" Sophie asked him after a considerable amount of silence between them.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Chase said quickly.

"What were your symptoms?" Sophie asked him.

Chase chuckled slightly. "You're adorable when you try to diagnose me," he told her.

"And you're just as adorable when you're trying to avoid telling me something," Sophie replied knowingly.

Chase smirked. "Nausea, muscle aches, sweating and vomiting. I think I just ate something yesterday that didn't agree with me," Chase said, trying to sound casual.

"Are you feeling better now?" Sophie asked him.

"Yeah, a little," Chase admitted.

"That's good. You should eat something bland. And try to drink some Gatorade in case you're a little dehydrated," Sophie told him.

"I will," Chase promised her.

Sophie smiled on the other end. "If you need me, you can always call me," she told him sweetly.

A pang of guilt shot through Chase's heart at her loving words. He knew how deeply she cared for him, and he hated lying to her. He rubbed his face and took a deep, resounding breath in an attempt to gather whatever strength was left in him.

"…Listen… can I call you later or will you be too busy studying?" Chase finally asked her.

"You know I'm never too busy to talk to you," Sophie told him.

Chase nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Robbie, is something wrong?" Sophie asked him over the phone with concern.

"No… I just…" Chase began, pausing once more, looking around furtively.

"…I just… need to talk to you about something, and I can't talk about it at work," Chase finally said.

"…I understand," Sophie said tentatively.

"I'll call you later, ok?" Chase said to her.

"Ok. Feel better, sweetie," Sophie told him.

They said their good- byes and Chase closed his phone, slipping it back in his pocket.

He then opened the bottle of Suboxone that House had given him to help ease his withdrawal symptoms.

He popped one of the pink, hexagonal- shaped pills in his mouth, swallowing it dry before hobbling towards House's office on his crutches. 

------------------------------------------------------------- 

A little while later, House leaped over Wilson's balcony with ease and tapped his cane on the sliding glass door that led to Wilson's office, startling Wilson and causing him to jump in his seat.

"I still can't get used to that," Wilson said, trying to catch his breath, his hand on his chest as House walked into his office, sliding the glass door behind him.

"So how was Debbie?" House asked pointedly as he took a seat on Wilson's couch.

At first, Wilson didn't answer him. His mind jogged back to their date last night. They had eaten dinner at a posh restaurant and wound up back at her place.

A tiny smile crept across his face as he recalled the lovely image of her naked torso and her voluptuous breasts bobbing up and down while he thrust up inside her as she straddled him on her bed.

"Debbie… was nice," Wilson said vaguely.

"Don't kiss and tell, huh?" House asked.

"You don't want to know if we kissed," Wilson muttered.

"True. But I figured that was a nicer way of asking whether you hit that last night," House quipped.

"Since when do you care about being nice?" Wilson demanded.

House didn't reply. He merely leaned back on Wilson's couch with a serene expression on his face.

"What's going on?" Wilson asked him.

"I'm in a good mood," House said with a shrug.

"You're HAPPY," Wilson stated.

House smiled ever so slightly, refusing to acknowledge Wilson's comment.

But Wilson wasn't about to give up.

"Is it just because things are going well with Cuddy… or is it something else?" Wilson asked him.

House's serene gaze remained on Wilson, his blue eyes sparkling.

He then suddenly got up off Wilson's couch and began to pace back and forth across Wilson's small office.

"What are you doing?" Wilson asked in confusion as he watched him.

"Just look," House told him.

"…What am I looking for?" Wilson said, even more confused.

"You know it when you see it," House said, never breaking his gait.

Wilson continued to stare at House, completely unaware what he was getting at.

And then suddenly, Wilson's jaw dropped as realization dawned on him.

"…Your limp…" Wilson managed to say, his mouth still open in shock. "It's—"

"It's less pronounced. I know," House said, still walking across Wilson's office.

"You're… _FEELING LESS PAIN?!_" Wilson exclaimed.

"Yep," House replied.

"That's… UNBELIEVABLE!" Wilson said incredulously.

"Tell me about it," House said in agreement.

"Do you have any idea why you're feeling less pain?" Wilson asked him as a tremendous grin formed on his face.

"I have no clue," House admitted.

"An MRI could confirm—" Wilson began, getting up from his chair at his desk.

"And I don't care," House stated flatly, interrupting him.

Once again, Wilson stared at him in complete shock.

"…YOU'RE not interested in knowing why you're suddenly feeling less pain," Wilson clarified.

"Nope," House said simply, making his way towards the door to Wilson's office. He placed his hand on the doorknob and opened the wooden door.

"I'm just gonna enjoy it while I can," House said, before leaving Wilson's office.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 

That evening, Cameron and Stern were having dinner at Yasuda, an extremely popular sushi restaurant on 34th Street in Manhattan. They had decided to go after work, and the place was packed with. But as usual, Stern had no trouble getting them a table.

"This is a really nice place," Cameron noted as she admired the surroundings of the restaurant.

"Best sushi in the city," Stern told her as he poured her a glass of sake from a small, porcelain jade colored bottle into an even smaller matching sake cup.

Cameron took a sip of the sake and almost choked. The Japanese rice wine was very strong, and it was hotter than she expected.

"Not a sake drinker, are you?" Stern said, holding back a grin.

Cameron licked her lips and wiped her mouth with her napkin. "I didn't expect it to be that hot," she said.

"I can get you something else," he said.

"This is fine," Cameron said with a smile as the liquid warmed her inside, thinking she could get used to it.

"Do you know what you'd like to order?" he asked her as he picked up his menu. "Everything is excellent. And the spicy tuna roll is superb."

"What's the deal with you and Cuddy?" Cameron asked him.

Stern looked up from his menu and saw her bright green eyes piercing him with intrigue. He laughed slightly and put his menu down on the table top, knowing that she wasn't going to relent.

"…She was my student," Stern replied.

Cameron arched her eyebrow with interest. Stern exhaled slightly and leaned across the table towards her.

"She was a first year med student, and I was her Chief Resident and supervisor," Stern began.

"She was brilliant… driven… and COMPLETELY unattainable. I can't remember how many times she turned me down for a date," Stern said to her, his hazel eyes sparkling as he spoke.

"But she finally succumbed to my advances," Stern continued.

"Couldn't resist your charm, huh?" Cameron teased.

"Either that, or she just got sick of me asking her out," Stern continued with a tone of self- deprecation.

"We went out for a while… but then she decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to keep seeing each other," Stern said.

"Because you were her supervisor?" Cameron asked.

"That… and other reasons…" Stern said, trailing off.

"And… you didn't take that very well," Cameron surmised.

"I got over it eventually," Stern said with a shrug.

"You're being vague on purpose," Cameron said knowingly.

"You didn't stipulate that our second date had to depend on specifics," Stern said, his hazel eyes still sparkling as he gazed at her.

"Why did you want a second date with me?" Cameron asked, trying not to get lost in his eyes.

"Because I find you incredibly irresistible and INCREDIBLY beautiful," Stern said sincerely.

Cameron's breath caught in her throat at his words. Stern then leaned across their small table. He brushed a stray lock of blonde hair out of her eyes and traced her cheek with his fingertips.

"And I want to take you home again tonight," Stern whispered to her huskily, his face merely an inch from hers.

He then brushed her lips tenderly, slipping his tongue into her mouth. Cameron felt the kiss surge through her right to the pit of her stomach.

"Can I take you home tonight, baby?" Stern whispered against her lips.

"…Yes…" Cameron whispered back, feeling all sense and reasoning leave her mind at his kiss. -

----------------------------------------------------------------

At around the same time, Cuddy as lying in her bed, reading 'Outlander,' the book that House had bought her for Christmas.

While she was reading, House's lips and tongue were exploring her neck as he reached up to cup her breast over her white silk teddy she had worn to bed that night, trying to make her get rid of the book.

"You're in a good mood," Cuddy quipped, as she tried to remained focused on the book with little success.

"Mmm hmm…" House murmured against her skin as he moved his lips down to taste her collarbone.

"Feel like sharing with the class?" Cuddy asked with a grin.

House took the book out of Cuddy's hands and tossed it on the floor. He gathered her closer to him and palmed her a$$, clad in a matching white thong.

"Only if the teacher keeps me after school," House said.

Cuddy wrapped her leg around House's hip, pulling him even closer to her. They kissed passionately as they held each other.

She could feel her arousal begin to grow at House's touch and kiss, but she needed to ask him something that had been bugging her all day.

"…Did you see Chase today?" Cuddy managed to ask him breathlessly when they finally came up for air.

"You forced him to work with me. I think that would mean I saw him," House said as he reached down to the hem of her silk teddy.

Cuddy rolled on her back as House lifted her teddy off her abdomen and began to kiss her there, slowly, his lips and tongue languidly trailing over her smooth skin.

"No... I mean... did you see how bad he looks?" Cuddy clarified, her voice still breathless.

"I don't spend my time looking at other men," House said, his lips trailing upwards towards her breasts.

"Did he mention… anything about being sick?" Cuddy asked him, fighting the tingle that was growing between her legs.

"Nope," House lied, continuing his journey upwards.

At this, Cuddy placed her hand on House's face to make him pay attention to her.

"What are you not telling me?" Cuddy asked him gently but firmly.

"Well, if you wanted to talk dirty, all you had to do was ask," House told her in an attempt to deflect her line of questioning.

"What's wrong with Chase?" Cuddy asked him, gazing into his eyes, refusing to back down.

House pursed his lips together, exhaling slightly. He then rolled off of her back onto his side of the bed. Cuddy leaned on her elbow to face him as House looked up at the ceiling.

"…I can't tell you," House finally said in a low voice.

"Why not?" Cuddy asked with concern.

House turned towards her, leaning on his own elbow, staring into her beautiful, soft blue- grey eyes.

"Because… he's my patient," House confessed.

TBC…


	17. Chapter 17

**HI EVERYONE!**

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**CHAPTER 17: Please read and comment.**

It was over an hour since House had fallen asleep.

But Cuddy was lying next to him wide awake, as House's words echoed in her mind.

"HE'S MY PATIENT," House had said to her.

House had refused to tell her anything else, despite her efforts to make him talk.

And she knew him all too well to think that he would finally give in.

And she didn't feel right about going to Chase about it, because it was obvious to her that Chase trusted House's medical judgment, or he wouldn't have gone to him in the first place for whatever House was treating him for.

She had always felt this strange connection between the two men. Perhaps it because that both of them had lousy relationships with their fathers. Perhaps Chase saw House as a pseudo- father figure in the absence of his own dad.

Whatever it was, something was telling Cuddy not to betray Chase's trust in House.

"BUT IF CHASE IS REALLY SICK, THEN DON'T I HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW?" Cuddy thought to herself.

She was his boss, and if his illness prevented him from doing his job properly, then she would have to reassign him once again or give him permission to take a medical leave of absence.

And what if he was contagious?

"THAT'S RIDICULOUS," Cuddy dismissed as soon as she thought of it. "CHASE KNOWS BETTER THAN TO COME TO WORK IF HE HAS A COMMUNICABLE DISEASE."

"AND NOW THAT I THINK OF IT, HE HASN'T SHOWN ANY SYMPTOMS OF ANYTHING ANYONE CAN CATCH," Cuddy thought as she pulled the blanket over her.

"ACTUALLY, THE ONLY SYMPTOM HE HAS SHOWN IS…" Cuddy continued to muse to herself.

And then she froze as realization dawned on her.

"Pain…" Cuddy whispered in epiphany into the darkness of the bedroom.

At that moment, all of the pieces of the puzzle became clear to her.

The answer flashed into her mind as if it was a neon sign. A knot began to twist in her stomach.

"Chase is addicted to Vicodin," Cuddy said aloud.

But House was in a deep sleep and didn't hear a word she had said. 

-------------------------------------------------------------- 

That same night, a little after midnight, Chase was playing 'Tony Hawk's Proving Ground' on his Xbox in his apartment, drinking lemon-lime flavored Gatorade and munching on some stale Saltine crackers that he somehow miraculously had in his apartment.

He had just vomited about an hour ago, but it was the only time for the entire day.

Which was good.

He did have to admit that the Suboxone that House had given him was easing his withdrawal symptoms. He was sweating less and the nausea was subsiding.

But at the same time, he did feel more tired than usual, and slightly dizzy.

And his ankle was still throbbing.

He leaned over and grabbed the Suboxone bottle from the coffee table, narrowing his eyes as he read the usual warnings:

"'Suboxone can cause drowsiness, dizziness and confusion. Take caution in driving and operating machinery while on this medicine,'" he read aloud sourly to his empty apartment.

He then tossed the bottle back onto the couch half- heartedly with a snort.

"Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease," Chase muttered.  He thought about taking the Motrin that Dr. Nathan had prescribed for him almost two weeks ago.

And then he chuckled.

"If I took the Motrin, Sophie would say that it wasn't good for my liver," he said.

A melancholy smile slowly formed on Chase's face as he thought of her.

She had taken such good care of him when he had first sprained his ankle. And ever since she went back to school, she called him every day to check on him and also sent him cute and funny text messages on the Blackberry she had bought him for Christmas.

And even thought she had been worried about his Vicodin use, she hadn't pressed the issue.

She just loved him.

He then remembered when she had first discovered the extra bottle of pills that Cameron had sent him through the mail, and how he had dismissed her worry as the ambition of a first year med student.

But her instincts had been right all along.

He was a Vicodin addict.

And now it was time to admit it to her.

He dug into the pocket of his jeans and pressed the speed dial for Sophie's cell number, taking another swig of Gatorade as he listened to the phone ring on the other end.

After two rings, Sophie picked up.

"Hey," she said in a sweet voice.

"Hi baby," Chase said softly. "Am I calling too late?"

"Of course not. How are you feeling?" Sophie asked him.

"A little better," Chase admitted.

"Well that's good. Did you drink the Gatorade like I told you?" Sophie asked him.

"Yeah, I did," Chase said with a slight laugh, placing the Gatorade bottle back on the coffee table in front of him.

"So who's having an affair at the hospital?" Sophie asked eagerly.

"…What?" Chase asked her, scrunching up his face in confusion.

"You said that you had something to tell me that you couldn't talk about at work. I assumed it was juicy gossip," Sophie explained.

At first, Chase laughed.

But the smile quickly left his face, knowing he had to tell her the truth.

"I wish it was," Chase said sadly.

"Then what is it?" Sophie asked him.

Chase exhaled and closed his eyes, leaning back on the couch.

"Sophie… I wasn't… completely honest with you this morning," Chase began tentatively.

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

"I WAS sick to my stomach last night… but it wasn't because of something I ate," Chase said.

"Do you have a virus or something--" Sophie began.

"I was detoxing," Chase blurted out, interrupting her.

Sophie didn't reply.

Chase took her silence on the other end of the line as a sign to continue.

"You were right about the Vicodin," Chase confessed, feeling as if a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"At first, I thought I could handle it. But after several doses, I started to feel surges of pain right before it was time to take one…" Chase explained.

"…And after a while… I took it even when I didn't feel that much pain at all," Chase continued.

"…How many pills did you take?" Sophie asked him softly, after a considerable pause in the conversation.

"Eleven. I didn't take any of the pills that Cameron prescribed for me, and I gave House all the remaining pills I had left," Chase admitted sincerely.

Again, Sophie fell silent.

"I'm so sorry that I dismissed you… and I'm sorry that I kept it from you—" Chase apologized, his voice starting to crack slightly.

"Robbie, I'm so proud of you," Sophie interrupted him.

Chase's lips parted slightly, completely surprised and taken aback at her response.

"…W-why?" he managed to say.

"Because you found the strength to stop taking the drugs on your own," Sophie told him.

"I'm not exactly on my own. House is treating me for withdrawal. He put me on Suboxone," he told her, his voice filling with humiliation.

"Stop it. You have NOTHING to be ashamed of," Sophie told him firmly.

"Yes I do. I lied to you," he said sadly.

"… Ok, THAT you can be ashamed of," Sophie said in a deadpanned voice as a grin formed on her face.

Chase laughed and paused thoughtfully.

"Why do you love me so much?" he asked her.

"…You really don't know?" Sophie asked him.

"… No," Chase admitted.

"Why don't you let me come see you this Saturday and I'll show you?" she asked him.

"I would love that," Chase said, his heart swelling with love for her.

"Maybe… you want to come Friday after class?" Chase suggested hopefully.

"Oh, honey, I'm sorry, but I can't," she said quickly. "I have late rounds on Friday night."

"That's all right," he said good- naturedly.

Sophie smiled as she pushed the surge of guilt out of her mind for lying to Chase.

Her poker game was this coming Friday.

And the take was eleven- thousand dollars.

And she knew that she needed cash if she was going to travel to Princeton to see the man that she loved. 

----------------------------------------------------------------- 

The following morning, Cuddy stormed into House's conference room. House was pouring himself a cup of coffee in his red mug while Chase was sitting at the conference table, chewing on a pencil with the crossword in front of him.

"What's going on with you two?" Cuddy demanded.

House and Chase exchanged a quick glance before looking at Cuddy.

"I guess we have to tell her," House said somberly.

Chase felt his stomach nervously rise up into his throat. Cuddy stared at House, patiently waiting for his answer.

House took a deep breath and exhaled dramatically, flashing Cuddy a morose expression.

"Chase and I have been secretly dating for a few weeks," House said somberly.

Chase's hand immediately flew up to his mouth, desperately holding back a huge laugh.

Cuddy's facial expression didn't change in the least.

"He wanted me to give him a drawer in my apartment, but I have this huge fear of commitment—" House continued.

"What are you treating him for?" Cuddy interrupted him evenly.

House paused only briefly before answering her.

Chase's smirk disappeared.

"What do you care? He's not a liability to the hospital," House stated.

"He might be if he's a DRUG ADDICT!" Cuddy exclaimed.

House and Chase looked at each other once again, knowing that the irony of the situation was too obvious to ignore.

"Did you actually HEAR what you just said?" House asked her.

"YOU have a pain problem," Cuddy pointed out to House.

"And he DOESN'T?" House demanded, gesturing at Chase with his cane.

Chase remained silent, watching his current boss and his former boss argue about him.

"HE has a sprained ankle. YOU had a portion of your thigh cut out of you. And you function better on the Vicodin than off of it," Cuddy pointed out, feeling anger rise within her.

"He's not performing surgery, and he's not even directly treating patients. He's sitting on his a$$ and is basically a sounding board for any crazy theory I come up with!" House shot back.

"Well unless he goes to rehab, I can't let him go back to work," Cuddy stated, trying to maintain her calm façade.

"That's ridiculous! He's only taken eleven pills and he gave me the rest of his drugs—" House argued angrily.

"Wait," Chase interrupted.

House stopped his tirade and snapped his head around to face Chase. Cuddy turned to look at Chase as well.

"…I'll go to rehab," Chase said quietly.

"You don't have to go to rehab," House muttered impatiently.

"Apparently I do if I want to keep my job," Chase pointed out calmly.

"She's not gonna fire you because she knows that no other surgeon will take my crap," House told him.

"But she won't even let me examine a runny nose in the Clinic until I'm totally clean," Chase told him.

At this, House looked away from Chase and down at the floor.

From his position in the chair at House's conference table, Chase bent down and grabbed his crutches.

He then pushed himself up off the chair and headed towards the door.

Cuddy gave House a meaningful glance as she held the door open for Chase.

But before Chase left House's conference room, he stopped and gazed at House.

Chase put his hand on his shoulder, forcing House to look up at him.

"I'll never forget what you did for me, House," Chase told him sincerely.

House felt the tiniest twinge in his heart as Chase gazed at him with grateful eyes and a melancholy smile.

And then he looked away again when Chase hobbled out of his conference room.

TBC…


	18. Chapter 18

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR GREAT COMMENTS! I JUST RESPONDED TO ALL OF THEM INDIVIDUALLY.**

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***************************************************************************

**CHAPTER 18: Please read and comment.**

"I'll never forget what you did for me, House," Chase told him sincerely.

House felt the tiniest twinge in his heart as Chase gazed at him with grateful eyes and a melancholy smile.

And then he looked away again when Chase hobbled out of his conference room.

But Cuddy stayed.

She stared at House, completely stunned.

"…What did you do for him?" Cuddy managed to ask him.

House met Cuddy's eyes briefly.

"Nothing," he said with a shrug as he turned away from her.

Cuddy's incredulous stare remained transfixed on House as he walked over to his white board and began to erase the symptoms that had been on there from their last patient.

"He just… THANKED you," Cuddy said in amazement.

"He has nothing to thank me for," House muttered.

"That's not true. You obviously helped him in some way—" Cuddy began.

"HE decided on his own to relinquish his pills to me. Like an IDIOT, he decided on his own to go to rehab—" House interrupted.

"He's not an idiot," Cuddy argued.

"HE DOESN'T NEED REHAB!" House exclaimed forcefully, suddenly turning around.

Cuddy visibly flinched at House's sudden outburst, and warily backed up a few steps as he came towards her.

"…He's… admitting that he has a problem—" Cuddy stammered.

""He's only taken eleven pills! He went to rehab purely to save his job and you're only making him go to rehab to save your ASS!" House continued angrily, his face only inches away from hers.

"You think that that's what this is about? I'm sending Chase to rehab so I won't look like a hypocrite?!" Cuddy demanded.

"You've been a hypocrite ever since you hired me," House said flatly.

Cuddy felt as if House had punched her in the stomach with his remark.

But she wasn't about to show him that.

She stood her ground and stared squarely into his eyes.

"You're a real bastard," Cuddy said in a low voice.

"Then why do you want to have a baby with me?" House demanded.

Cuddy's gaze remained on House as she suddenly realized what he was doing.

"…You're pushing me away. Just like you did with Stacy," Cuddy said, barely above a whisper.

House didn't answer her. He merely looked down at the floor.

"Well let me make it easy for you," Cuddy said, holding back a flood of tears that was threatening to run down her cheeks as she left his office.

-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Later that day, Wilson opened the door to Princeton Plainsboro's Rehabilitation Clinic.

He had been there before, when House was pretending to detox to get Tritter off his back.

As soon as he walked in, he saw Chase playing chess at a nearby table with one of the other patients. He was wearing a set of light blue scrubs, a grey waffle long- sleeve shirt underneath, and sneakers.

Wilson couldn't help smirk slightly in amusement when he saw him.

"I've got winners," Wilson said as he walked towards Chase.

Chase looked up in surprise upon hearing Wilson's voice.

"What are you doing here?" Chase asked.

"I came to see how you were doing," Wilson replied in a friendly manner as he pulled up a chair at the table.

Chase laughed curtly. "News travels fast, doesn't it?" he said.

Wilson shrugged in agreement. "So what kind of treatment program did they put you on?" he asked him.

"They're leaving me on the Suboxone regimen that House prescribed me," Chase replied.

Wilson nodded slowly as Chase moved one of his knights, which the patients he was playing with immediately captured with his rook. Chase grunted in disgust in response, while the patient, a seventeen year old boy, bore a huge grin on his face.

"You know that Cuddy only put you in here so she didn't look like a pushover," Wilson told Chase.

"I know," Chase said, scrutinizing the chessboard in front of him.

"You're probably only gonna be in here a few days," Wilson added in a reassuring manner.

"Three days," Chase clarified. "Then I can go back to work next Monday."

"Back to the O.R.?" Wilson asked him.

"Not right away. I still can't put a lot of weight on my ankle. But I told Cuddy I'd do Clinic hours," Chase replied, moving his bishop.

Wilson wanted to ask Chase if he would rather go back to House than the Clinic, but there was something more pressing on his mind.

"Did you tell Sophie that you're in rehab for the next three days?" Wilson asked him.

"I wasn't allowed to use the phone," Chase replied with a shrug.

"I'm sure the coordinator will let you call her from his office," Wilson said.

"Check," said the teenage boy from his position on the other side of the table, after he had moved his queen into position to take Chase's king.

"Damn!" Chase said.

Wilson waited patiently for Chase to respond to his comment about calling his sister. Chase looked away from the board momentarily and met Wilson's gaze for a brief moment.

"If I tell Sophie, she'll just worry," Chase muttered, looking back at the board.

"If she tries to call you and can't reach you, she'll worry MORE," Wilson pointed out.

Chase met Wilson's gaze once more and nodded reluctantly in agreement.

He then got up from the table and walked to the coordinator's office. The door was open and Chase peeked his head inside.

"Would it be all right if I called my girlfriend?" Chase asked.

The coordinator thought for a moment and then nodded 'yes.' Chase smiled in thanks and picked up the phone on the desk as the coordinator left his office.

After two rings, Sophie picked up.

"Hi," Sophie said in a low, muffled tone.

"You're doing rounds," Chase said knowingly.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Sophie said.

"That's ok. I'll make it quick. I only have a few minutes, anyway," Chase said.

He glanced at Wilson, who was standing in the doorway of the coordinator's offices. Wilson gave him a nod, encouraging him to continue. Chase took a deep breath and exhaled.

"I won't be able to call you for the next three days because I'm in the rehab clinic at the hospital," Chase said as quickly as he could.

At first, Sophie didn't respond.

"WHAT?!" Sophie said suddenly, breaking the silence between them.

"I didn't want you to worry if you tried to call me and couldn't reach me—" Chase began.

"I don't understand. I thought you gave House your pills and he put you on Suboxone," Sophie said in complete confusion.

"I did, and the Clinic is keeping me on the same regimen. She just put me in here to save face and I'm toeing the company line," Chase explained.

"…How long are you gonna be in rehab?" Sophie asked.

"Only three days. Then I go home and back to work on Monday," Chase said, trying to sound cheerful.

"You can't even go home?" Sophie said sadly.

"I'll be fine," Chase assured her. "And your brother already came to check on me, so don't worry."

Once again, there was silence on Sophie's end.

"Will you still come see me on Saturday?" Chase asked her lovingly.

"Of course I will," Sophie replied.

Just then, the coordinator peeked his head back inside his office, shooting Chase a look like his time on the phone was up.

"Ok, honey, I have to go now," Chase said gently.

"Already?" Sophie said, the sadness in her voice increasing.

Chase felt his heart break at the sound of her voice. He inhaled through his nose to collect his emotions.

"I love you," Chase told her, his voice cracking slightly.

"I love you too, Robbie," Sophie replied, her voice full of emotion.

Chase then covered the mouthpiece of the phone with his hand so the coordinator and Wilson couldn't hear what he was about to say.

"Pack something sexy for Saturday, ok?" Chase mumbled under his breath into the phone.

Sophie laughed out loud at Chase's request, feeling her sadness begin to wane.

"Ok," Sophie replied as a smile crossed her face.

"Bye, baby," Chase said.

"Bye," Sophie replied.

As Sophie closed her phone and slipped it into her short lab coat pocket, she knew that she had to make sure that she won enough cash in the poker game that coming Friday to pay for a plane ticket to Princeton.

And that meant that she had to do whatever it took to win.

She took her phone out of her lab coat again and dialed Joey's cell number.

"Hey sexy," Joey said in a leery voice.

"We need to discuss a game plan," Sophie said, ignoring his remark.

"'Game plan?'" Joey said jauntily. "I thought you always played the game straight up."

Sophie pursed her lips together, nodding slowly as she stood in the middle of the hallway in the pediatric unit at Boston University hospital.

"Not this time," Sophie said firmly. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

After hanging up with Sophie, Chase kept his hand on the receiver, still standing in the coordinator's office.

"I'm in love with your sister," Chase said somberly as he kept his gaze on the desk.

"I know that," Wilson said in confusion, not understanding why Chase didn't seem happy about it.

"And she's in love with me… and… I honestly have no idea why," Chase said sincerely.

"You're just feeling sorry for yourself right now," Wilson said dismissively.

"No I'm not," Chase stated.

"She's beautiful, she's smart, she's funny. She can have anyone she wants," Chase continued.

"And she wants YOU, so be happy," Wilson said simply.

"I don't deserve her," Chase said.

"…I told her I was detoxing, and she actually told me that she was PROUD of me for finding the strength to give up the Vicodin on my own," Chase told Wilson, completely disgusted with himself.

"You think that's easy to do?" Wilson demanded.

"I only took eleven pills and I became an addict!" Chase exclaimed.

"Because Vicodin is an addictive substance AND you have a history of addiction in your family," Wilson pointed out.

Chase snorted in disgust and began to walk out of the coordinator's office.

"And that's really why you let Cuddy put you in rehab," Wilson stated.

Chase stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly to face Wilson once again.

"You didn't put yourself in here to save your job," Wilson began.

"You put yourself in here because you're completely head over heels in love with my sister… and you want to be a better man for her," Wilson finished.

An incredibly wonderful and warm feeling washed over Chase at Wilson's words.

"You're right," Chase said.

"Which is why you're gonna be ok," Wilson said.

TBC…


	19. Chapter 19

**HI EVERYONE!**

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**CHAPTER 19: Please read and comment.**

**THREE DAYS LATER: FRIDAY AFTERNOON...**

Chase was in the coordinator's office of the hospital's Rehabilitation Clinic, filling out his discharge papers. He was wearing a new set of light yellow scrubs and his sneakers. His street clothes and other personal effects had been returned to him and were in a plastic bag at his feet.

After three days of medical treatment, two group meetings, five more chess games and a good deal of sleep, Chase was clean.

Since he had only taken eleven Vicodin, it didn't take long to wean him off the Suboxone for the three days that he had been in rehab.

And his leg had healed to the point where he was able to ditch the crutches and use a cane for support.

After completing his discharge papers, Chase handed the paperwork to the rehab coordinator and held his hand out.

"Thanks for everything," Chase said to the coordinator.

"Take care of yourself," the coordinator said, shaking his hand in return.

"I will," Chase reassured him.

"And be aware that just because the physical symptoms of your addiction are gone, it doesn't mean that the psychological symptoms are gone as well," the coordinator added.

Chase chuckled and rolled his eyes at the coordinator.

"I didn't have any psychological symptoms and I don't expect to," Chase said condescendingly.

"We're available for counseling, either in a group session or one- on- one—" the coordinator continued, undaunted by Chase's air of superiority in his voice.

"That's all right. I won't be needing any of that," Chase assured him.

The coordinator kept his eyes on Chase for another moment, and then nodded.

Chase nodded in return and left the rehab clinic, raking his fingers through his hair.

As soon as he limped out the door with his cane, he saw Cuddy and Wilson waiting for him.

Cuddy was leaning against the wall across the hallway, her arms folded across her chest, while Wilson was standing next to her with his hand in his pockets.

Cuddy had a small, amused smile on her face as she gazed at him in his scrubs, his cane, the three days of scruff on his face, and his slightly disheveled hair.

"Does he remind you of someone, or is it me?" Cuddy asked Wilson jokingly.

"Doesn't ring a bell," Wilson joked back.

"Are you the welcoming committee?" Chase asked with a grin.

Cuddy's smile broadened as she walked towards him.  "How are you?" she asked.

"Never better," Chase replied.

"You look great," Cuddy remarked. Wilson nodded in agreement.

"Imagine what a shower and a change of clothes will do for me," Chase quipped.

A small laugh escaped Cuddy's lips at Chase's remark.

But Chase couldn't help but notice that the sad expression in her eyes didn't match her smile.

"I'm sorry I made you go to rehab," Cuddy said apologetically.

"I'm not. It worked," Chase said.

"You only took eleven Vicodin—" Cuddy began.

"And I still got addicted. You did the right thing," Chase assured her.

Cuddy shrugged as the melancholy expression on her face remained.

Chase suddenly noticed that she was wearing more under- eye concealer than usual.

"What did House say to you about sending me to rehab?" Chase asked.

"He disagreed with how I handled the situation," Cuddy replied.

"Big surprise. But that's not what's been making you cry over the last three days," Chase said knowingly.

Cuddy pursed her lips together and exhaled through her nose.

"We broke up," Cuddy admitted.

Wilson's lips parted in surprise as his eyebrows shot upwards.

"When did this happen?!" Wilson demanded.

"Three days ago," Cuddy told him sadly.

Wilson was still stunned. For the last three days, he had been busy with patients and had been spending his time after work with Debbie.

But House hadn't even bothered to barge in on him during work hours to tell him what had happened.

"What happened?" Chase asked with a surprised expression, taking the words out of Wilson's mouth before he could say them.

"We had a fight," Cuddy said.

"And?" Chase pressed her.

Cuddy gazed at Chase and Wilson, wanting to tell both of them the entire story.

But she knew that now wasn't the time to burden Chase with her problems.

"It doesn't matter. It was never gonna work out between us anyway," Cuddy said with a dismissive shrug, avoiding his penetrating stare.

Wilson placed his hand on her arm, forcing her to look at him. He gazed at her with concerned eyes.

"That's not how you feel and you know it," Wilson said meaningfully.

Cuddy held back the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes. Wilson then put his arm around her.

"C'mon. Let's talk," Wilson said as he led her over to one of the couches in the hallway.

As Wilson and Cuddy walked away, Chase watched them sit.

But Chase didn't join them.

Instead, he limped over to the elevator with his cane and pressed the button for the floor that House's office was on. 

---------------------------------------------------------------

A few moments later, Chase limped into House's office.

House was sitting at his desk, half- heartedly staring at his computer monitor as Foreman was sitting in the chair in front of his desk, tossing House's red and grey ball up in the air over and over.

House looked away from the porn website he was viewing and looked at Chase in his scrubs.

He then looked Chase's hospital- issued silver cane up and down.

"Nice cane. Remind me to take you shopping," House snarked.

"You're an IDIOT," Chase declared to House.

House and Foreman exchanged confused glances before House looked back at Chase.

"Isn't that MY line?" House asked him.

"Why did you push Lisa away?" Chase demanded.

Foreman raised his eyebrow in interest at Chase's use of Cuddy's first name.

And House noticed this.

"In case you're wondering why he's calling her Lisa, they slept together at a medical conference in Boston a few months ago," House said with a deadpanned expression.

Chase's eyes almost popped out of his head.

Only a few people knew about his and Cuddy's one- night stand, and Foreman wasn't one of them.

But after a moment, Foreman burst out laughing.

"Yeah right. I'm sure Cuddy was ALL up on his jock," Foreman snarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

House raised his eyebrows ever so slightly as Chase desperately tried to hide the horrified expression on his face.

"I'm gonna go get a coffee," Foreman said, still laughing as he left House's office.

After the door closed behind Foreman, Chase turned back to House, still in shock.

"How could you tell him that?!" Chase demanded.  "You didn't think he'd actually BELIEVE me, did you?" House asked, shaking his head slightly.

"And what do you care about my relationship with Lisa?" House added.

"Because she's been crying for the last three days over you!" Chase exclaimed.

"I noticed. She's really been caking on the under- eye concealer," House commented.

"If you were ever capable of having a relationship with ANYONE in this life, it would be Lisa!" Chase said angrily.

"Then unless things don't work out between Wilson and Debbie from accounting, I'm going to be alone until the afterlife?" House asked in annoyance.

Chase scrunched up his face in bewilderment.

"Wilson and Debbie from accounting are together?" Chase asked him with interest.

"Duh! Where have you been?" House asked him.

Chase licked his lips and leaned on his cane, staring at House intently.

"This has something to do with your leg, doesn't it?" Chase asked him.

House gazed at Chase with the tiniest smile. Chase had been an a$$- kisser, self- righteous, opportunistic, and even annoying at times.

But he was always insightful.

"…I'm feeling less pain," House admitted quietly.

Chase jaw dropped in surprise. He never expected House to say that.

"…That's… GREAT!" Chase exclaimed.

"And I have no idea why," House told him.

"And MRI could show the cause—" Chase began carefully.

"There can only be two explanations for the decreased pain. Either it's a temporary  decrease in pain, the key word being 'temporary,' and it'll just come right back—" House began impatiently.

"Or there's something else wrong," Chase finished for him, now seeing the entire picture.

"You're thinking that if the pain comes back and she gets pregnant, you won't be able to help her take care of the baby," Chase stated.

"And if there IS something else wrong with me, Lisa shouldn't have to deal with that either," House said.

"And it never crossed your mind that she loves you and that she's willing to deal with whatever happens?" Chase asked him.

House didn't answer him. He started to absentmindedly rifle through the papers on his desk. Chase limped closer to him and sat down at the chair in front of his desk.

"Cuddy will NEVER leave you," Chase told him sincerely.

"Stacy left me," House mumbled, not looking up.

"Stacy's not Cuddy," Chase said.

House stopped looking through the papers and met Chase's gaze, wanting desperately to believe him.

But he just couldn't let himself.

"Go home," House told him.

Chase looked at House forlornly, pushed himself off the chair, and limped out of House's office.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 

That evening, Cameron was chopping fresh vegetables in her kitchen. She put the knife down and took a sip from the glass of Pinot Grigot that was on the counter.

"That smells so good," Stern said as he came up behind her, holding his own wine glass.

"I haven't cooked anything yet," Cameron told him with a grin.

Stern placed his own glass on the counter, wrapped his arms around her waist and began to kiss her neck delicately.

"I wasn't talking about the food," Stern murmured.

The smile remained on Cameron's face, despite the corny line he had just used on her. She put her own glass down and closed her eyes as she gave into his gentle kisses.

"I saw you got an invitation for some Valentine's party at PPTH," Stern mentioned as he continued to kiss her.

"Yeah…it's a charity event… they have a fundraiser every year," Cameron said haltingly as his kisses became more insistent against her skin.

"Are you gonna go?" Stern asked her, slipping his hand under the front of her plum- colored long- sleeved t- shirt.

"…I'm not sure yet," Cameron managed to say as his hand caressed her abdomen.

"Because if you want to, I can go with you," Stern murmured in her ear.

"Another chance to rub something in Cuddy's face?" Cameron joked.

Stern moved his hand upwards underneath her shirt and cupped one of her breasts over her bra, making her gasp.

"Another chance to see you in a pretty dress," Stern whispered.

"You want to drive all the way to Princeton just to see me in a dress?" she asked, lolling her head back in pleasure against his chest.

"It's only an hour away. And we can make a weekend out of it. I'll book us a hotel reservation somewhere," Stern said, turning her around to face him.

"Ok, why not?" Cameron said happily, as he pulled her closer to him.

Stern encaptured her lips in a passionate kiss, holding her body against his, when his cell phone rang in his pocket.

To Cameron's surprise, Stern abruptly broke off their kiss and dug out his cell phone.

"Who is it?" Cameron asked, trying to catch her breath.

"It's my ex- wife. I'm sorry babe. I have to take this," Stern said in annoyance.

Cameron smiled at him and nodded before he left the kitchen and headed to Cameron's bedroom to answer the call.

But inside she was wondering why his ex- wife would be calling him on a Friday night.

TBC…


	20. Chapter 20

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS! I JUST RESPONDED TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY.**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. IT'S STILL FRIDAY NIGHT IN THIS FIC.**

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**CHAPTER 20: Please read and comment.**

**FRIDAY EVENING CONTINUED…**

Around ten minutes later, Stern came out of the Cameron's bedroom, wearing an annoyed, yet somewhat amused look on his face. Cameron smirked at his odd facial expression.

"What's going on?" Cameron asked with interest as he walked back into the kitchen.

"Cory wanted to go to an open house party at his friend's place in Long Island where there would be no parental supervision," Stern replied, cocking his head to the side as he spoke before kissing her on the lips.

Cameron chuckled in response as she continued to prepare their meal of herb roasted salmon, vegetables and wild rice.

"I remember those days," she said.

When Stern had shown Cameron a picture of Cory, his fifteen- year old son, she couldn't get over how much they looked like each other. They had the same bright hazel eyes, the same dark, silky hair and the same charming smile.

"His mother already told him that he couldn't go—" Stern began.

"But a united front always works better with a teenager," Cameron finished for him.

Stern nodded and smiled. He then sat down on a stool that was situated on the other side of the island counter in Cameron's kitchen. Cameron took his glass of wine off the counter space she had been using and brought it over to Stern.

"Does… Cory know about me?" Cameron asked tentatively as she placed his glass in front of him.

"… No… he doesn't," Stern replied after a pause, taking a sip of his wine.

Cameron nodded, turned back to the counter and continued to prepare their meal.

"Do you want him to know about you?" Stern asked her.

"That's your decision, not mine," Cameron replied without turning around.

"Ally… my marriage only ended a little over a year ago. I think it's too soon to tell him about us—" Stern began.

"Whatever you want to do is fine," Cameron interrupted him, still facing away from him.

From his position behind her, Stern shot her a look of disbelief and exasperation, but said nothing. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A short while later, Cameron and Stern were sitting at Cameron's dining room table about to begin their meal. In the center of the table was a vase filled with a dozen pink roses that Stern had brought for her that evening.

As Stern was savoring the first bite of the salmon that Cameron had cooked for them, she stared at him contemplatively.

"Does your ex- wife know about me?" Cameron asked.

Stern looked up from his plate in mid chew with raised eyebrows.

Cameron raised one eyebrow in response.

"Allison…" Stern suddenly said in annoyance, wiping his mouth with his napkin.

"What? It's a simple question," Cameron said defensively.

"No. She doesn't," Stern answered flatly and quickly. "Does Chase know about ME?" he asked back.

Cameron paused, truly surprised by his question.

"...Yeah, he does," she replied.

"Well then I guess you have a better relationship with your ex than I do," Stern said, the bitterness clear in his voice.

"Congratulations," he added sarcastically.

Cameron held her breath as she watched Stern continued to eat with a darkened expression on his face, immediately regretting asking him about his ex- wife.

The entire week, they had both been extremely busy during the day and Stern hadn't been able to get together with her after work, either.

She had planned a romantic evening for them alone tonight and she had no desire to screw that up.

She reached across the table and gently touched his hand.

"I didn't mean it like that," Cameron said softly.

Stern looked up from his food and met her gaze. His own expression softened when he did so.

"You don't have to tell anyone about us if you don't want to," Cameron added.

At this, Stern placed his hand on top of hers.

"Ally, I really enjoy being with you…" he began sincerely.

"So do I," Cameron replied with a smile.

"But for right now... I just want what we have to be uncomplicated," Stern stated.

Cameron felt an uneasy twist in her stomach at the words she had used on Chase two years ago, only for the first time how lousy he must have felt when she had told him that.

But instead of showing it, she swallowed and nodded.

"So do I," she said. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

At around the same time back in Princeton, Chase was in his shower for the first time in three days.

He lolled his head back to allow the hot water to caress the skin on his chest. He exhaled deeply and enjoyed the pulsating massage setting he had placed his showerhead on.

The steam rose all around him, engulfing him in a sense of extreme relaxation.

He slowly opened his eyes and eyed the bar of soap resting in the caddy in front of him.

He then looked down at himself and saw that his cock was beginning to stand at attention.

For a moment, he contemplated jerking off with the soap, but then decided against it.

"You can wait one more day for Sophie," he told his hard- on. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

After Chase had thoroughly scrubbed the remnants of the rehab clinic off of him, he stepped out of his shower, dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist. He quickly ran a comb through his wet hair and tousled it with his fingers.

He then padded into his bedroom in bare feet and the towel, immediately reaching for his cell phone on the nightstand.

He smiled immediately when he saw that Sophie had called him. He pressed the speed dial for her number and waited for her to answer.

"Hey baby," Sophie answered sexily after two rings. "Are you home?"

"Yep, and a hot shower never felt so good," Chase replied, matching her sexy tone.

"Just wait until tomorrow night," Sophie said suggestively.

"I was hoping you'd say that," he replied with a grin, feeling his erection making a comeback underneath the towel.

"I can't wait to see you," Sophie said.

"Me too," Chase replied softly.

"So what are you gonna do tonight?" she asked him.

"Order a pizza and be lazy," Chase told her as he sat down on his bed, still clad only in the towel.

"That sounds great," Sophie said, almost wistfully.

"What time are your rounds over?" Chase asked her.

"Oh, I probably won't be back until after well after 1AM, sweetie," Sophie said regrettably.

"That's too bad. I was hoping for a little dirty talk," Chase said, thickening his accent ever so slightly.

"You can't wait until tomorrow?" Sophie teased him.

"No," Chase said simply.

Sophie laughed. "Trust me when I tell you that you're gonna need your rest for tomorrow," she assured him.

Chase grinned as his mind raced eagerly with anticipation.

"Good," he said. "How are you getting home tonight?"

"I'm driving," she replied.

"Where do you park your car?" Chase said, his concern growing.

"Don't worry. Someone always walks me to my car," she assured him.

"What shuttle are you gonna take tomorrow morning?" he asked her.

"The 10AM. I should be in at the latest at 11:30," she told him.

"I'll be waiting for you at the airport," Chase told her.

"…I love you, Robbie," Sophie said after a pause.

"I love you, too, baby. Have a safe flight," he told her before hanging up.

On the other end, Sophie closed her phone and looked at herself in the full- length mirror in her bedroom.

She was wearing a black halter top with a low scoop neckline that revealed the ample curves of her breasts, a pair of low rise skinny jeans that hugged her curves, and black knee- high stiletto boots. Her long, dark wavy hair was down about her shoulders.

After years of playing high- stakes poker, she always made use of every advantage that she had to win.

But she had never felt dirty about it until now. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Two hours later, Sophie was reading her Allergy and Immunology textbook when she heard a knock at her front door.

Sophie exhaled deeply and got up from her couch to answer the door.

Once she did, Joey looked her up and down with strict scrutiny.

"What?" she asked impatiently.

"Is that what you're wearing tonight?" Joey asked her.

"What's wrong with it?" Sophie said in irritation.

"You wanna break even or you wanna win?" Joey asked her pointedly.

Sophie exhaled in exasperation. "Wait here," she told him.

Ignoring her instructions, Joey walked into her living room as Sophie went back to her bedroom. He thrust his hands into the pocket of his well- worn jeans as he glanced at a framed picture of Sophie and Chase together that was displayed in her small wall- unit.

When she returned, she was wearing a black camisole with a plunging v- neck that somehow managed to reveal even more of the curves of her breasts.

"Who said you could come in?" Sophie asked him, still annoyed.

"Now that's more like it," Joey assured her, his bright blue eyes gleaming as his licked his lips at the sight of her breasts.

"You ever thinking about spending the money you grind out on a clean leather jacket?" Sophie said in disgust as she walked past him to grab her keys and wallet off her coffee table.

The corners of Joey's mouth turned up. "You know me. I never throw anything away," he said in a sleazy voice.

"I can't believe I ever went out with you," Sophie muttered.

Joey grinned broadly at her. He then went over to the wall unit and picked up the picture of her and Chase.

"Does 'Crocodile Dundee' know about us?" he joked.

"There is no 'us,'" Sophie said firmly, taking the picture back from him and placing it back on the wall unit. "And as far as I'm concerned, there never was."

"Yeah, which is why you're spending your Friday night with me," Joey said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Sophie closed the distance between them and penetrated his eyes with a menacing stare.

"This has NOTHING to do with you. This is about me making enough money to pay my bills and see my boyfriend more than once a month," she stated evenly.

Joey silently inhaled the subtle scent of the jasmine soap she had used, wondering if she smelled that good everywhere. He tilted his head ever so slightly as he looked her up and down once more.

"If you say so," Joey said casually.

------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time, House was alone in his apartment, playing the piano.

He looked around his apartment as he played, thinking that his apartment felt more empty than it ever had.

He was about to take a swig of the scotch that he had poured himself that was resting on the piano when he heard an insistent knock at the door.

"I know that knock. Go away or use your key," House barked.

At this, the door to House's apartment opened and Wilson strode into the living room right to House. House continued to idly play, ignoring Wilson.

"You need to talk to Cuddy," Wilson told him.

"You and Chase need to get off my back," House retorted.

"Why didn't you tell her that you were feeling less pain?" Wilson demanded.

"Because I don't know the cause," House replied, looking back down at the keys.

"So that means you had to keep it a secret from her?" Wilson asked in confusion.

House looked up from the piano and met Wilson's gaze camly.

"Yes," he replied.

Wilson threw his hands up into the air in disgust. "You're impossible," he declared.

"Either the decrease in pain is temporary and it'll come back, or it means something else is wrong," House told him, the emotion rising in his voice.

"You don't think there's a third option?!" Wilson exclaimed.

"Like what?!" House demanded.

"Like you were HAPPY BECAUSE YOU WERE WITH CUDDY!" Wilson yelled.

"Yeah. HAPPINESS and LOVE are healing me. I am so SICK of you telling me that there's an emotional component to the pain in my leg!" House yelled back as he stood up from the piano bench.

"Your leg pain increased when Stacy left you, and it's decreased since you've been with Cuddy," Wilson stated.

"No wonder why you're a department head. You tell all your patients that? All they need is to find someone to have sex with and they can skip the chemo and radiation treatments?!" House said angrily.

"Is that all Cuddy is to you? Just sex?" Wilson shot back.

At this, House merely stared at Wilson in silence.

"Because if she IS, then you wouldn't be sulking alone in your apartment," Wilson said, with a hint of triumph in his voice.

"…Actually, that's EXACTLY what I would be doing," House said, furrowing his brow.  "She's been crying over the last three days because of YOU," Wilson stated, moving closer to him.

Wilson stared into his eyes, never wavering as House stared right back at him.

"Now you look me in the eye and tell me that means absolutely nothing to you," Wilson demanded.

House then looked away and focused on the floor.

"…I can't," House admitted in a raspy voice.

Wilson backed up slightly, feeling as if he had conquered the world.

"Then go tell her that," Wilson told him.

TBC…


	21. Chapter 21

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS! THEY MAKE MY DAY!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-)**

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**CHAPTER 21: Please read and comment.  
**

**FRIDAY NIGHT. CUDDY'S HOME.**

Cuddy was on her couch in her living room, curled up in an afghan, reading the copy of Outlander that House had bought her for Christmas.

Part of her didn't want to even read it anymore, because it was the most romantic book she had ever read and that just made it harder to deal with her recent break- up with House.

But it was a great book, and she was too obsessive not to finish a book.

She looked around her empty apartment and saw little reminders of House everywhere: The Victoria's Secret catalog he had been eagerly perusing through the last time he was here was resting on her coffee table; there was an empty can of some energy drink that House had resting on the end table next to her couch that he refused to throw away and that she refused to clean up after him…

Even the blanket that she was curled up in had covered the both of them the last time he had been there.

On a whim, Cuddy nuzzled her nose in the blanket, taking in the remnants of his scent.

'STOP IT,' she told herself, shaking her head firmly as the tears began to form in her eyes.

Just then, there was a knock at her front door.

She hastily wiped the corners of her eyes with her fingertips, took the blanket off her and got off the couch.

When she got to the door, she looked through the peep- hole and saw House standing on the other side.

Upon seeing him through the peep- hole her heart skipped a beat in her chest.

But she quickly suppressed the hope that was rising inside her, took a deep breath to compose herself, and answered the door, plastering a stoic look on her face.

"What are you doing here?" Cuddy asked calmly.

As House stood in the doorway, leaning slightly on his cane, wearing a pair of dark jeans, his sky- blue button down shirt, a white- t- shirt underneath and his leather biker jacket, he looked Cuddy up and down.

She was wearing a pair of black yoga pants, a royal blue tightly- fitted v- neck t- shirt that showed off her luscious curves, and her hair was loose about her shoulders.

But her eyes were red, puffy and tired.

"I'm sorry you've been crying over me," House said.

At first, Cuddy merely stared at him, slightly thrown by his left- handed apology.

Then a curt laugh of disgust escaped Cuddy's lips at his remark.

"Don't flatter yourself," Cuddy scoffed as she turned away from him, leaving him in the open doorway.

House walked into the foyer, closing the door behind him.

"What else explains the bags under your eyes that you've been trying to cover up for the last three days?" House demanded.

"If you're trying to apologize to me, I suggest you use a different approach," Cuddy told him, heading for the kitchen.

House sighed loudly and watched her walk into her kitchen from behind in exasperation.

He had never been good in situations like this, and he was hoping that Cuddy would understand that he had good intentions upon coming over.

But he always hated having to explain himself.

He followed her into her kitchen, where Cuddy took a stone- colored ceramic mug out of her cupboard and placed it on the kitchen counter.

She didn't acknowledge his presence in any way when he walked into the kitchen.

He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, watching her as she went over to another cupboard to retrieve a box of chamomile tea bags and a packet of artificial sweetner.

"Wilson says that stuff gives you cancer," House said.

Cuddy glared at him and took a teaspoon out of her silverware drawer.

"So do you want to talk about this or what?" House asked.

"What's there to talk about? We broke up, remember?" Cuddy asked coolly.

"WE didn't break up. YOU walked out of my office," House reminded her.

"That's because YOU called me a hypocrite for protecting you all these years and sending Chase to the rehab clinic," Cuddy shot back.

"That's because Chase DIDN'T need rehab!" House argued.

"He THANKED me when he came out of it. It HELPED him," Cuddy stated.

"He only took eleven pills!" House shouted.

"Is this why you came here? To argue with me about Chase?" Cuddy demanded.

"What do you want from me!?" House demanded.

"I WANT YOU TO TELL ME THE TRUTH!" Cuddy exclaimed, spinning around to face him.

House met her blazing eyes with his own, not daring to look away from her. She took a few steps towards him, closing the distance between them.  

"You didn't give a CRAP that I put Chase in rehab! You just used that as an EXCUSE to push me out of your life!" Cuddy stated angrily.

"YOU'RE RIGHT! I DID!" House yelled.

Cuddy shook her head ever so slightly, not believing her ears.

"…I'm right?" she managed to say, barely able to get the words out.

House kept his gaze on her for only a moment longer before he walked over to her kitchen table and slumped down in a chair.

Cuddy watched him in complete bewilderment.

"Why would you do that?" Cuddy asked him softly.

House met her gaze once more. But this time, there was no anger in her eyes.

She sat down at the table next to him. As she did so, House looked down at the table- top, examining the patterns that naturally existed in the grain of the wood.

"…Does it have something to do with the fact that you're feeling less pain lately?" Cuddy asked tentatively.

At this, House looked up from the table top in slight surprise and smirked.

"Wilson has a big mouth," House stated in a deadpanned voice.

Cuddy laughed. "He sure does," she said.

House nodded, the smirk changing to a soft smile as he looked back down at the table top.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Cuddy asked him, placing her hand over his.

"Because I don't have an explanation for it," House replied.

"So… you broke up with me because you were obsessed with a medical mystery…" Cuddy mused. "Yeah, that sounds like you."

"There can only be two explanations for the decreased pain. Either it's temporary and it'll come back, or there's something else wrong," House told her, the agitation beginning to grow in his voice again.

Cuddy looked at him quizzically.

"… Still not understanding where you're going with this—" Cuddy began.

"You want a baby!" House blurted out.

Cuddy shook her head, now completely confused.

House threw up his hands in frustration, letting them fall onto his lap.

"And if I'm too stoned to hear the baby cry in the middle of the night or if I can't go to her because I'm in a wheelchair, then what good am I?" House demanded.

"'Her?'" Cuddy quipped.

House raised his eyebrows and stared at her for a second. He then leaned back against the chair, looking down at his lap.

"Leave it to you to pick out the most insignificant detail in that statement," House muttered.

Cuddy smiled at him with closed lips and touched his face. House didn't look up at her.

"Wilson thinks that I'm feeling less pain because of you," House admitted.

"Then wouldn't it make sense that you would have felt MORE pain after I walked out on you?" Cuddy asked him.

"Which is why I can rule out psychological or emotional causes," House mumbled. "The decreased pain has a physical cause."

"Look at me," she said gently.

House finally did as she asked, taking in the soft, beautiful features of her face.

"I understand what you're afraid of…" Cuddy began.

"But no matter how brilliant you are, you still can't predict the future," she continued.

"I come pretty close most of the time," he said in a raspy voice.

"MOST of the time," Cuddy pointed out with a grin.

House chuckled slightly and nodded.

"If the pain comes back, we'll deal with it," Cuddy told him.

"And if something else is wrong?" House asked, barely above a whisper.

"Then we'll deal with that, too," she replied.

"'We?'" House asked.

"Yeah," Cuddy told him.

With that, Cuddy leaned in closer to him, brushing her lips against his. House felt a warm feeling fill his chest as they kissed and as the palm of her hand touched his cheek once more.

"So I guess that means that you forgive me for making you cry," House finally said, after their lips had parted.

"Take me to bed, you jerk," Cuddy murmured against his mouth.

Once House and Cuddy had reached the doorway to Cuddy's bedroom, House suddenly scooped Cuddy off her feet, making her shriek.

"Greg! What are you doing?!" she exclaimed, grabbing onto him as he held her in his arms.

"I've always wanted to carry you into our bedroom," House said huskily.

"But your leg—" she began, feeling a wave of arousal come over her at the mention of her bedroom being 'theirs' again.

"Doesn't hurt as much anymore, remember?" he reminded her.

"You wanna make it worse?" she asked him pointedly.

"Shut up and let me do this," he said, bringing her over to her bed.

He placed her down and climbed onto the bed next to her, gathering her close to him.

He pressed his body against hers, engulfing her lips in a passionate and forbidding kiss. Cuddy moaned into his mouth, winding her arms around his neck.

House traveled his hand down the curve of her thigh and hooked it under her knee. He then pulled her leg up over his hip. His erection strained against his jeans, pressing against the soft fabric of her yoga pants, begging to be set free.

As his lips and tongue explored hers, Cuddy thrust her hips against his body wantonly.

House thrust back, delighting in the friction their bodies were creating.

He moved his mouth down her neck to the exposed curves of her breasts, tasting the sweet saltiness of her skin. Cuddy slowly arched her back, encouraging him.

He slipped his hands down to the hem of her t- shirt, pulling it slowly over her head, revealing a white, lacy demi- cup bra.

"Oh god…" House groaned at the sight of her luscious breasts peering out of the top.

"Touch me," Cuddy begged him.

House needed no further invitation.

He reached around her back and popped the closure of her bra open. He tore away the cumbersome garment and greedily took one of her nipples into his mouth.

Cuddy whimpered in pleasure as he suckled her. As his lips and tongue teased her nipple, she continued to grind against him.

Once again, he pressed his hips against hers. The pleasure between their bodies was so intense that it was almost painful for him.

Cuddy reached down between them and undid the button and zipper of his jeans. House groaned in relief.

But he shuddered as her tiny hand curled around his erection. As he looked down, the visual of her hand on his cock was almost enough to push him over the edge.

She began to stroke him, but he stopped her.

"No," he told her.

Cuddy looked up at him and saw an intensity in his eyes that she had missed terribly.

They removed the rest of their clothing. House took his time peeling off her white, lacy thong past her hips, thighs and feet.

"Spread your legs for me, baby," House told her in a low voice.

Cuddy gasped at his demand and eagerly complied.

He then thrust into her deeply, filling her up and making her cry out.

She gripped the blanket and arched back each time he pushed into her. He re- positioned her leg over his shoulder, to penetrate her as deeply as he could. She could feel her excitement rise within her merely from the position they were in, sexy cries escaping her throat at every thrust.

Their breathing became ragged gasps as Cuddy could feel herself getting closer to climax with each deep thrust.

"…I'm so close," Cuddy said in between breaths.

"… Me too," House managed to say, closing his eyes.

"...Oh, Greg… please... don't stop… oh!" she pleaded as delicious waves of pleasure crashed over her.

"Oh god, Lise…" he groaned.

He buried his face in her neck as he exploded inside her, silently pleading that his sperm would find their way.

********************************************

At around the same time, Sophie was sitting in the passenger seat of Joey's car, looking out the window at the dark streets of Boston.

"So you gonna give me the silent treatment the whole way?" Joey asked her, glancing at her briefly as he drove.

"I really don't feel like talking," Sophie mumbled.

"And I don't believe that for a minute," Joey said.

Sophie shot him a sidelong glance and then looked back out the window.

"I lied to my boyfriend," Sophie said sadly.

Joey rolled his eyes but didn't reply as he continued to drive.

"I told him I had rounds tonight. He has no idea that I'm playing in this game," Sophie continued.

"So what?" Joey asked her in irritation. "Is he your father? Does he have to keep tabs on you every minute?"

"That's not the point," Sophie muttered in disgust.

"So you lied to him. Big deal. When you show him the thick bankroll you're gonna take off these humps tonight, trust me, he's not gonna care," Joey assured her.

At this, Sophie turned to face him in her seat.

"And why do you say that?" she asked him.

"Because there's NOTHING sexier than a girl who can play poker like you can," Joey told her with a grin.

"Now I KNOW you're insane," Sophie told him.

Joey's grin broadened as she looked back out her window.

"And how are you so sure I'm gonna win? You said the risk was moderately high," she reminded him, turning back to him once more.

"I said the risk was MODERATE. You ASSUMED moderately high," Joey clarified.

Sophie made a noise somewhere between a sigh and a grunt as she looked back out the window.

"Well, here we are," Joey said, making a right turn up a private driveway.

Sophie narrowed her eyes as she looked at the large brick and stone mansion- style house that Joey had driven up to. There were white, large Greek letters on the front of the house.

"This is a frat house," Sophie stated, confused.

"Can't put anything past you, can I?" Joey teased.

"What's going on?" Sophie demanded.

Joey unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned closer to her, locking his eyes with hers as he placed his hand on the back of the passenger seat.

"Inside that frat house are a bunch of Richie- Rich, Trust Fund spoiled brats who love nothing more than spending all their parents money on booze and poker on a Friday night," Joey informed her.

Sophie arched her eyebrow at him.

"And they all SUCK at cards," Joey added, his own eyes dancing excitedly.

"So where's the risk?" Sophie asked him lightly.

"The risk is convincing them that YOU don't know the first thing about this game," Joey told her.

He then brushed a stray lock of her hair away from her face, letting the tip of his finger trail down her cheek. Sophie stiffened at his touch.

"But that you're VERY willing to learn," he added suggestively.

"I'm not THAT willing," Sophie stated firmly, moving away from him brusquely.

"Don't worry. I'm talking 'lookie' no 'touchie,'" he assured her.

Sophie eyed him suspiciously, crossing her arms against her chest.

"Just flirt with them a little," he told her. "You'd done it before."

"If ONE of those guy puts his hands on me in there—" Sophie began to warn him.

"I won't let that happen," Joey assured her.

Sophie looked through the windshield at the fraternity house in front of her.

She took a breath and exhaled, knowing that she didn't have much of a choice at this point.

She reached for the handle of the car door and opened it.

"This is the last time I'm doing this," Sophie told him as she got out of the car.

"Whatever you say, baby," Joey said as he got out of the car as well.

TBC...


	22. Chapter 22

**HI EVERYONE!!**

**THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS! THEY REALLY INSPIRE ME! I RESPONDED TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY.**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-)**

*************************************************************

**CHAPTER 22: Please read and comment.**

A few moments later, Joey and Sophie were headed down a dimly lit staircase to the basement level of the large fraternity house.

The steps were quite steep and Joey had held out his hand to Sophie so she wouldn't fall in her stiletto boots, but she refused to take his hand, opting to hold onto the banister instead.

Once they reached the basement level, Sophie's lips parted in surprise at what she saw in front of her.

The basement was set up to look like a casino. There were five professional Texas Hold 'Em tables with blue felt and an oak wood finish on each set up around the room. There were five matching oak chairs at each table, and almost every chair was occupied with college guys, hunched over the tables with bottles of beer next to them. There were even neon signs hanging from the walls, advertising various alcohol and beer brands to complete the look of the room.

There were couches along two of the four walls of the room. On the right, there was a cherry wood bar, complete with a built in fridge, a beer tap, and various liquors on a shelf mounted to the wall behind the bar.

The entire far wall was taken up with a large maple wood counter with a granite top. Behind the counter, there was a tall, thin blonde girl with voluptuous breasts, wearing a red low- cut tank top and jeans, leafing through a magazine with a bored look on her face.

Sophie watched a guy wearing faded ripped jeans and a faded red Abercrombie t- shirt get up from one of the tables and walk over to the counter with a plastic poker chip holder in his hand, filled with chips.

Her eyebrows raised slightly when she saw the blonde count the chips quickly and produce the cash equivalent from under the bar.

Sophie then realized that apart from the blonde, she was the only female in the place.

"I thought you said these guys suck at cards," Sophie hissed in Joey's ear.

"They do," Joey murmured back.

"They suck at cards, so they turned their basement into a Carpet Joint?" Sophie asked him in disbelief.

"Everyone wants to look the part," Joey replied under his breath, turning his attention to the tall guy walking towards them.

The guy had a broad grin on his face as he recognized Joey. Just like the rest of the guys in the room, he was wearing a t- shirt and jeans. He had a Heineken beer bottle in one hand and a lit cigar in the other and about two days growth of facial hair.

"Hey Mike," Joey said, with a nod.

"Hey Joey. Glad you finally made it," Mike replied.

"So this must be your cousin," Mike said, turning to Sophie and looking her up and down.

Sophie plastered a sweet smile on her face as she thought to herself that the cigar fad had been over for quite some time now.

"I must be," Sophie replied, in a slightly flirtatious tone, immediately taking on the role that Joey had cast her in.

"So I hear you want to learn Hold 'Em," Mike said.

At this, Sophie nodded enthusiastically, knowing that if she was going to make these guys believe she was a novice, she had to act like somewhat of a bimbo.

"Joey was trying to teach me… but he was getting impatient with me because I couldn't pick it up right away," she said with a slight pout.

"That's ok. We've got all night," Mike assured her with a cool smile and a look in his eyes that made Sophie's stomach turn.

With that, Mike then led Joey and Sophie to the blond "cashier" on the far wall.

"Give 'em a thousand in quarters," Mike told the blonde.

The blond nodded silently, counted out one- thousand dollars worth of twenty- five dollar chips for them, neatly stacked them in a plastic tray and placed them in front of Joey and Sophie.

"Do you want a beer or something?" Mike asked, gesturing to the nearby bar as Joey took the chips from the blonde.

"No thanks," Sophie said.

"I'll have one," Joey said.

Mike snapped his fingers at the blonde behind the counter. "Becks," he told her.

The blonde rolled her eyes in annoyance but went over to the bar anyway and retrieved a bottle of Becks for Joey and handed it to him.

Joey thanked the blonde as he gave her a lingering once over.

"We reserved seats for you over here," Mike said to Joey and Sophie.

They both followed Mike over to the one poker table that had two empty seats. Joey placed the chips in front of Sophie as she sat down.

Joey remained standing behind her chair, placing his hand on the back of it.

The other three college guys at the table nodded and smiled at her as they introduced themselves, getting an eyeful of Sophie's ample cleavage as they did so.

Sophie smiled back at them, already impatient for the night to be over.

As Mike began to explain the rules to Sophie in a rather pedantic manner, Sophie pretended to listen as she took the opportunity to size up all the guys at the table.

From what she could see, they weren't sober, each of them most likely well into their fourth or fifth beer. They were all wearing rumpled t- shirts and jeans, all unshaven, and some of them wearing baseball caps to hide the fact that they most likely hadn't showered that day.

As Sophie wondered to herself how Chase could manage to look so gorgeous scruffy and how these guys just looked dirty, Mike asked her:

"You think you got all that, sweetie?"

Sophie darted her eyes to Mike and plastered her well- rehearsed innocent smile on her face.

"…I think so," she said, making sure she sounded a bit uncertain.

"Great, then let's play," Mike said.

Sophie intertwined her fingers in each other and rested her hands on the table, as if she was waiting for something to happen. Mike shot her a confused glance.

"You're left of the dealer, Sophie. You need to put in the small blind," Mike reminded her.

"Oh, right. That's half the minimum bet, right?" Sophie asked as she took some of the chips out of her plastic tray.

"That's right," Mike said with a slight smile. "And you can take the chips out of the tray and put them in stacks to make it easier."

Sophie did as Mike told her to do while the rest of the guys at the table exchanged smirks.

Sophie arranged her chips in neat little stacks, smiling inwardly that her ruse was working.

The player to her left then tossed in the "big blind," the full minimum bet.

As Mike dealt two cards to every player face down, Sophie examined each of the boys's facial expressions as the cards came out.

Immediately, she picked up on their eyebrow raises and facial ticks when they glanced at their hole cards. Some of them wore meek expressions, indicating that they had a good hand, while others wore looks of overconfidence meaning that they had nothing.

After all the guys looked at their cards, Sophie took a peek at hers, which were a pair of Tens.

Joey peeked at Sophie's cards over her shoulder and then walked away from the table.

"…You're not playing?" Sophie asked Joey in surprise as she watched him take a seat on one of the couches against the wall directly across from where she was sitting.

Joey spread his legs slightly as he got comfortable on the couch.

"I will in a little while," Joey said casually, keeping his gaze on her.

Sophie nodded, knowing full well that Joey had no intention of playing in this game tonight.

But based on the Berry Patch that was in front of her, she knew that she wouldn't need him at all.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Around an hour later, Chase was stretched out on his couch in his apartment, watching "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" on cable, thinking about Sophie and how much she loved old horror movies.

His ankle still ached a bit, but the Motrin he had taken around a half- hour ago was starting to kick in.

He thought about calling Sophie, but he knew that she had late rounds tonight and shouldn't be bothering her.

So instead, he picked up the Blackberry that Sophie had bought him for Christmas that was lying next to him on the couch and texted her:

_"YOU MUST LOOK SO FREAKIN HOT IN YOUR SCRUBS,"_ he typed.

After sending the message to Sophie's phone, he smiled slightly, imagined exactly what she looked like in her scrubs, and rested his Blackberry next to him, waiting for her to text him back at her convenience.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few minutes later, Sophie's cell phone beeped in her pocket.

While the rest of the players were placing their bets, Sophie quickly dug her cell phone out of her jeans and glanced at the display, indicating that she had a text message from Chase.

Across the room, Joey shot her a glance upon hearing Sophie's phone beep.

Sophie ignored him and checked her message.

_"YOU MUST LOOK SO FREAKIN HOT IN YOUR SCRUBS,"_ she read off the display to herself.

At first glance, Sophie smiled happily when she read the message.

And then her smile quickly disappeared, knowing that Chase had no idea that she had lied to him.

She shoved her phone back in her pocket, knowing that this wasn't the right time to text him back, praying that he'd think that she was too busy at the hospital to respond.

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The rest of the night went by uneventful.

For most of the game, the other guys at the table had been sneaking peeks at her breasts, which she had expected.

But she had also expected one of these drunken idiots to make a play for her, or at least make some lewd remark or use a line on her.

But to her surprise, they had been quite polite, more focused on the game than on her.

Throughout the night, Sophie had been careful to switch off between winning and losing, folding her hand when she thought it was the right move, despite the cards she had been dealt, to maintain the fact that she was a novice.

She had also made sure to act overly excited when she did win a round, bouncing her breasts up and down for good measure, to throw them off the trail that she was waiting for the right moment to take the house.

Joey, however, had remained on the couch the entire evening, never joining the game, watching Sophie like a hawk, with the same, small smile on his face.

As he took another swig of his beer, the blonde girl who had given them their chips sauntered over to Joey and sat down next to him on the couch.

"You wanna go upstairs?" she asked him in a sultry whisper.

"I don't think Mike'll appreciate that," Joey said, not taking his eyes off Sophie.

"Mike likes to make sure that his guests are taken care of," the blonde told him suggestively as she caressed the top of Joey's thigh.

Joey looked down at his thigh and then up at her face. He could tell by her expression that she'd been passed around the fraternity house more than once.

"No thanks," Joey said, turning his attention back to Sophie.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the end of the night, there was a huge pile of chips in the middle of Sophie's table.

Sophie and Mike were the only ones at the table with chips between them. The other three guys had been cleaned out.

The rest of the guys in the basement who had been playing at other tables had stopped their play to watch Mike and Sophie.

The blonde was now sitting on Mike's lap at the table.

The flop, the first three community cards of the hand, had already been dealt, revealing a Nine of Clubs, a Six of Spades and a Three of Hearts.

Mike peeked at his cards, revealing a Six of Clubs and King of Spades.

"I raise," Mike said confidently, tossing five hundred dollars worth of chips in the pot.

Sophie glanced at her cards, a Nine of Diamonds and a Nine of Hearts.

She then looked at the flop once more, and furrowed her brow to pretend as if she was contemplating her next move.

"I see your raise…" Sophie said, tossing in five hundred dollars into the pot. "And I raise you another five hundred."

Mike chuckled slightly and tossed another five hundred in the pot to match her raise.

He then dealt the Turn, or the fourth card, a King of Diamonds, giving him two pair, and smirked ever so slightly at his luck.

Which Sophie noticed.

"I'm all in," Mike said confidently, pushing the rest of his chips into the center of the table.

The rest of the guys looked at each other and then at Sophie, waiting for her move.

Sophie then bit her lower lip, pretending to be nervous.

Joey, from his position on the couch, kept his serene smile on his lips.

She hesitated for a moment, closed her eyes dramatically and pushed all her remaining chips in the center.

Mike then dealt the River, the fifth and final card, which was a Nine of Spades.

Sophie then opened her eyes and exhaled with a dejected look on her face. Mike grinned in response.

"Did you have the nines?" Sophie asked him meekly.

"Nope. Kings over Sixes," Mike boasted, turning over his hole cards, his eyes sparkling.

Sophie's dejected look then disappeared.

"Yeah, I figured, because I do," Sophie replied calmly.

She then turned over her cards in one smooth motion, revealing her Nine of Diamonds and her Nine of Hearts, which gave her Four of a Kind, beating Mike's Two Pair.

The rest of the guys in the room were visibly shocked as their jaws dropped. Some of them laughed out loud and actually clapped at Sophie's win.

Joey's serene smile broadened as he watched Sophie lean over to gather her winnings from the middle of the table.

Mike was completely stunned.

The blonde on his lap frowned and promptly got off his lap and made her way back to the bar to get a drink for herself.

"Thanks, guys. This was fun," Sophie said, after she had quickly counted her chips with her fingers and placed them in her plastic tray.

Out of nowhere, one of the guys at the table started to chuckle and shake his head sheepishly.

"What's so funny?" Mike demanded of him.

"She hustled us, you idiot," the guy told him.

Mike's eyes widened at Sophie, who had a soft, closed lipped smile on her face.

She then took a thousand- dollars worth of chips out of her winnings and tossed them back to Mike.

"Here's the thousand we used On The Finger," Sophie told him.

"'The Finger?'" Mike repeated, still in shock, but slightly impressed at her skills and her use of poker terminology. "You really DID hustle us,"

Joey finally got off the couch and pushed his way through the crowd of frat guys that had gathered around the table.

"C'mon. Let's cash out," he told Sophie once he had reached her.

Sophie nodded and got up from the table, taking her tray full of chips with her.

After getting the cash equivalent in hundreds of the fifteen thousand she had won that night from the blonde, she folded up her bankroll, placed it in her front pocket and headed back towards the stairs with Joey.

"Wait a minute," Mike called out after them, causing Joey and Sophie to turn around.

"Are you really his cousin?" Mike asked them.

Sophie and Joey exchanged glances before she looked back at Mike.

"Everybody lies," Sophie said with a shrug before they walked back up the steps.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was now past 1 AM.

Chase was still awake, sitting in front of his TV.

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers," had ended hours ago, and he was flipping through the channels absentmindedly.

Sophie still hadn't responded to his text message that he had sent her earlier.

And he was worried.

He was well aware of the fact that she kept regular late hours, either studying or doing her required rounds. He also knew that she wasn't always able to call him back or reply to his texts right away.

But he wasn't crazy about her walking to her car this late at night.

He picked up his cell, which was next to his Blackberry and dialed her number again, praying that she would answer and that she was all right.

TBC…


	23. Chapter 23

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR GREAT POSTS! I RESPONDED TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY.**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. IT'S LONG. I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY IT!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS **

*************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 23: Please read and comment.**

After Sophie and Joey went up the steps, the blonde girl who had been making change and her way around the room all night was now drinking straight Vodka at the bar from a shot glass.

"Maybe you should take it easy with the drinks," Mike commented to her as he watched her throw back a shot.

"Maybe YOU shouldn't be such a pussy," the blond spat out after swallowing her shot.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Mike demanded.

"You really gonna let those two leave with YOUR money?" the blonde demanded of him. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

A few moments later, Sophie and Joey were now outside, walking down the dark driveway of the frat house towards Joey's car when they heard Mike's voice behind them.

"Wait a minute," Mike called out after him.

Joey and Sophie stopped and turned around to see Mike swaggering towards them, accompanied by a very large guy that they didn't recognize from the card game.

"You didn't think that you're actually leaving with my money, did you?" Mike asked them in a condescending manner.  

"It's not your money anymore," Joey replied casually as Mike and the guy he was with moved closer to them on the driveway.

"I didn't know you were bringing a pro to my game," Mike said accusingly.

"You take a risk every time you sit down at a card table," Joey replied as if he was teaching him something.

The larger guy gave Sophie a lingering once over in a way that made her stomach turn.

"Maybe she's a pro in other areas besides cards," the guy suggested in a sleazy voice, licking his lips as his eyes traced her body.

Sophie froze in fear, reaching instinctively for Joey's hand in the dark night.

As he felt her fingers brush against his, Joey stepped in front of Sophie and looked Mike squarely in the eye, ignoring the thug that accompanied him.

"What do you care if you lost? I'm sure the glimmer we took off you is just a drop in your daddy's bucket," Joey said.

Sophie winced visibly, knowing that Joey, once again, had put his foot in his mouth.

Mike then turned his head towards the guy who was still raking Sophie with his eyes and nodded his head once.

As if on cue, the guy then cocked his fist, punched Joey square in the nose, making an ugly cracking sound, and sent Joey reeling to the ground on his a$$.

Sophie gasped out loud and immediately bent down to him.

"Now that wasn't very nice," Mike said sarcastically to Joey as he stood over him.

Blood was gushing out of Joey's nose, which began to stain his t- shirt because his leather jacket was opened.

Sophie reached into her jacket pocket and took out a tiny packet of tissues that she always carried with her and began to gently apply pressure to his nose. Joey took the tissue from her, placing it on the bottom of his nostrils to stop the bleeding.

"Does blood come out in the wash?" Joey asked her wearily.

"Joey, let's just give him back the money," Sophie begged him.

"No, that's ok. You can keep it. He's right. There's plenty more where that came from," Mike said lightly.

Sophie looked up at Mike from her crouched position on the driveway and stared at him incredulously.

"…Then why did you punch him?" she asked.

"Because you see where he is right now? That's where he belongs. On the ground with the other scum of the earth," Mike replied haughtily.

Joey looked up at Mike with heavily lidded eyes as his nose continued to bleed and swell up.

"He's a leather- a$$, and that's all he'll ever be," Mike added in a low voice, a sneer playing about his lips.  

"It was a pleasure to meet you Sophie," Mike added before turning around and heading back up the driveway.

The large guy gave Sophie another once- over before following Mike back into the house.

As Joey was trying to breathe through his mouth, Sophie's cell phone rang in her jeans pocket.

"It's Robbie. I have to take this," Sophie said as she looked at the caller ID.

"Yeah. Don't let my bleeding interrupt your phone call," Joey said dryly as he continued to apply pressure to his nose.

Sophie stood up from the driveway, took a deep breath to try to collect herself, and opened her phone.

"…Hi honey," Sophie said as calmly as she could.

"Sophie! Where are you?" Chase demanded on the other end.

"I'm on my way home. I sorry I didn't respond to your text," Sophie answered quickly.  

"Are you ok?" Chase asked her, picking up on the nervousness in her voice.

Sophie then suddenly realized that she was shaking.

"…I- I'm fine. I'll call you back in a little while, ok?" Sophie said, knowing that the anxiety that she was trying to keep out of her voice was seeping through.

"Are you sure you're all right," Chase asked her again.

"I'm sure. I promise I'll call you back in a little while," Sophie said before hanging up the phone. 

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Around twenty minutes later, Joey and Sophie were back in Sophie's apartment. Joey was sitting on the couch with his head tilted back while Sophie was examining his nose.

"Your nose is broken," Sophie declared.

"Great. What do I do?" Joey asked her in exhaustion.

"You can go to the ER and they'll see if it needs to be reset," Sophie told him.

"I'm not waiting in the ER," Joey declared.

Sophie exhaled in exasperation. She then got up from the couch and headed to her kitchen. While she was there, she took an ice tray out of her freezer and a nearby dishtowel and made a make- shift ice pack out of it.

"Put this on the bridge of your nose," Sophie ordered him. "You can also take some Ibuprofen for the swelling and the pain."

Joey nodded and put the ice pack on his nose and closed his eyes.

She stared at him momentarily before reaching into her front pocket and taking out the bankroll she had won at the card game. She peeled off three- thousand dollars and handed it to him.

"Here's your cut," she told him. Joey opened his eyes slightly and shook his head.

"You keep all of it," Joey told her and pushed her hand away.

"No. We had an agreement and I don't welsh," Sophie stated firmly, holding the money out to him.

Joey gazed at her, his eyes still half- closed, as bruising now began to form under his eyes. He then finally took the money from her with his free hand and shoved it into the pocket of his leather jacket.

"Thanks for protecting me from that guy," Sophie said.

"Did you think I wouldn't?" Joey asked her.

Sophie chuckled slightly. "I guess underneath all that leather, you're still a good guy," she joked.

"Oh, so THAT'S why you dated me a hundred years ago," he quipped.

"And without the shiners and the broken nose, you're not too bad looking either," she retorted with a shrug, as she brushed his long, dark bangs out of his soft green eyes.

"You know, I've got a couple of other games on the hook, if you're interested," Joey offered.

"I'm not," Sophie said, shaking her head dismissively.

"Yes you are," Joey said without missing a beat.

Sophie furrowed her brow ever so slightly. "Joey, I told you that this is the last time—" she began.

"We both know that you need to pay your bills and your tuition. And you're too stubborn to ask your brother for money and you'll never find a regular job that pays this much," Joey interrupted.

"This roll should tide me over for quite awhile," Sophie assured him.

"And we also both know that you're ADDICTED to this," Joey added.

Upon hearing this, Sophie drew her breath in slightly. Joey took the ice pack off his nose, sat up straighter on the couch and his stare began to penetrate through her.

"You get a high from cleaning up at the tables. You couldn't stop now if you wanted to," Joey said, his eyes locked on hers.

"Kinda like the high you get from watching me play?" Sophie shot back coolly, never breaking her gaze with his.

A slow smile crept across Joey's face, knowing that she had hit home.

He then handed her the ice pack, keeping his eyes on hers.

"Tell your Aussie boyfriend I say 'hi,'" he told her.

And without another word, Joey got up and let himself out of Sophie's apartment, closing the door behind him. 

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Around twenty minutes later, Sophie was standing in the middle of her bedroom with a towel wrapped around her body and another one around her hair. She had just come out of the shower and was holding her cell phone in her hand.

She pressed the speed dial for Chase's number and waited for him to answer. Chase picked up after only one ring.

"Do you know how hard it is to pace back and forth with a sprained ankle?!" Chase demanded of her over the other end of the phone.

Sophie couldn't help but laugh at his remark.

"Hi baby," she said wearily.

"Hi," Chase said in a deadpanned voice. "Are you all right?" he added.

"Yes," she assured him. "And I'm sorry I didn't call you back earlier."

"So are you gonna tell me why you couldn't call me or what?" Chase asked her, his tone somewhere between worry and irritation.

Sophie exhaled loudly, replaying the events of the evening over in her mind.

"Sweetie, I'm really tired. Can I just tell you everything when I see you tomorrow?" Sophie asked him pleadingly.

Despite his worry, Chase could tell by the tone in her voice that she must have had a tough night and that she was exhausted.

And his gut told him that whatever she had to tell him, she needed to tell him face to face.

"Get some sleep. I'll pick you up at the airport tomorrow morning," Chase told her. 

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The next morning, Chase was waiting for Sophie in Newark airport by baggage claim, their usual meeting place.

He was leaning on a rosewood cane with a horn- shaped handle for support as he scanned the crowd for her.

He then spotted Sophie enter the baggage claim area, dragging a small, black suitcase with wheels by the handle and her backpack purse slung over her shoulder, his entire face brightening upon seeing her.

Chase waved to her and she smiled immediately upon spotting him through the crowds of people.

"You got a cane!" Sophie said, her bright smile matching his upon reaching him.

"Yeah, you like it?" Chase asked her, picking it up slightly off the ground to show her.

"Yeah I do, it's sexy," Sophie said with a broad grin.

"That would explain why House gets all the chicks," Chase quipped with a dazzling smile.

"Not this chick," Sophie said sexily as she let go of her suitcase and wound her arms around Chase's neck.

Chase happily wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, capturing her lips in a soft, searching kiss.

"I know it's been only a week… but I've missed you so much," Chase said as he continued to tenderly brush her lips over and over with his.

Sophie felt her entire body fill with warmth as he explored her lips and his tongue danced delicately against hers. She still couldn't get over how he always managed to sweep her away with his kiss.

"Robbie… take me home…" Sophie managed to say against his mouth.

"…To your brother's place?" Chase murmured, still exploring her lips.

"No… to your place," Sophie whispered, raking her hands through his silky hair.

"You see my place as home?" Chase whispered back.

"Home is wherever you are," Sophie told him sincerely.

Chase, completely overwhelmed at her simple words, broke off their kiss and caressed her cheek with his fingertips, a beautiful smile taking over his entire face.

And all of his worry and anxiety from the night before had completely vanished.

"Come on. I've got a surprise for you," he told her as he took her hand to lead her out of the airport. 

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A little while later, Sophie and Chase were in Chase's room in his apartment, standing in front of his dresser.

The bottom drawer was opened and completely empty.

"…You're… giving me a drawer?" Sophie stammered as she stared into the empty drawer in front of her.

"I figured you're here often enough and that you were probably tired of living out of your suitcase," Chase said with a soft smile.

"And… maybe you'll want to start leaving some things here?" Chase added tentatively.

Sophie pursed her lips together as a wave of emotion washed over her.

She still hadn't told him where she had been last night and who she was with, and here he was, lovingly wanting to take their relationship to the next level.

"Robbie—" Sophie began sadly.

"I know. I'm rushing it, right?" Chase interrupted her sadly.

Sophie snapped her head around to face him, her heart aching at the look of dejection on his face.

"No, that's not it at all," Sophie declared.

She then glanced over to his bed, where her backpack purse was resting.

"…I have a surprise for you, too," she said hesitantly as she walked over to the bed and sat down on it.

Chase's eyes widened tremendously as she opened her bag and produced a bankroll several inches thick of fifties and twenties wrapped in a rubber band. She tossed it to him, which he caught clumsily.

"Sophie… you… WON all this at poker?!" Chase asked incredulously as he stared at the money in his hand.

"Yeah," Sophie muttered, looking down at the floor from her position on the bed.

"How much is in here?" Chase asked her.

"A little over ten grand," Sophie mumbled softly, still not looking up at him.

"That's unbelievable!" Chase exclaimed.

"No it's not. It's awful," Sophie said, flopping back onto his bed and closing her eyes.

"Yeah. A roll of cash is really horrendous," Chase said sarcastically, scrunching up his face in confusion.

"Robbie…I lied to you," Sophie said, her eyes still closed.

Chase took his eyes off the money and stared at her.

"I wasn't at the hospital last night. I went to a frat house on campus to play in a poker game," Sophie confessed.

Chase inhaled slightly, remaining silent as he kept his gaze on her, waiting for her to continue.

"The take was fifteen grand and it was a soft game. I couldn't pass on it," Sophie added.

"If you won fifteen- thousand, then why do you only have ten- thousand in here?" Chase asked, confused once more.

"I had to pay for my plane ticket," Sophie replied.

Chase raised one of his eyebrows in disbelief. "A shuttle ticket from Boston to Jersey doesn't cost five- thousand bucks," he said.

"And I had to kick some back to the house or they'd charge me a Vig," Sophie said, amazed how easily the lie came out of her mouth.

"What's a 'Vig?'" Chase asked her, unfamiliar with the term she had used.

"Interest that the house charges," Sophie replied with a shrug.

"Oh," Chase said.

Sophie opened her eyes and sat up straight on the bed.

"That's IT? You're not angry?" Sophie asked him.

"Why should I be angry?" Chase replied.

Sophie stared at him as if he had three heads.

"Because I LIED to you! And… because you told me EVERYTHING! The Vicodin, Cameron writing you a script, going to rehab—" Sophie said.

"I EVENTUALLY told you everything," Chase interrupted.

Chase then sat down next to her on his bed and placed his hand on her thigh over her jeans, rubbing it affectionately.

"And so did you… and… that's what matters," Chase told her simply with a sweet smile.

Sophie pursed her lips together, inhaling through her nose, as she prepared to tell Chase about the fact that her ex- boyfriend had set up the game and that they had almost gotten themselves into a dangerous situation.

"Robbie—" Sophie began.

"And… I'm actually kinda turned on," Chase added, interrupted her.

Sophie stopped herself mid- thought and saw that Chase's blue- green eyes were sparkling, matching the mischievous smile on his lips.

"Do you know how sexy it is to me that you can play poker like this?" Chase asked her.

Sophie arched her eyebrow as the corners of her lips turned up.

He tossed her bankroll onto his dresser and began to lower her back down onto his bed, capturing her lips once more in a kiss that made her tingle everywhere.

She arched her head back as his soft, full lips trailed down hers to her chin, then to her neck as he pressed his body against hers.

A soft moan escaped her throat as his lips traveled over her collarbone while he reached up to cup her breast over her scoop neck long- sleeved t- shirt.

"I'LL TELL HIM LATER," Sophie told herself.

"Take this off," Chase murmured against her collarbone, reaching down to the hem of her t- shirt.

Sophie nodded and sat up slightly. She peeled the t- shirt up over her head, revealing a navy blue demi bra covered in lace with a tiny blue bow on the front.

"This is nice," Chase whispered as his fingertips traced the lace pattern over her breast.

Sophie's breath hitched at his touch.

"I'm glad you like it," she breathed.

He kissed her breast over her bra, his lips traveling to the swells of her breast. His tongue traced the curves of her breasts as he cupped her underneath.

Sophie wrapped her leg around his lower back, pulling him closer.

Chase peeled down the delicate fabric off her breast, exposing her pink, erect nipple. He slowly and tenderly took it in his mouth, fluttering his tongue as he suckled her.

Sophie whimpered in delight at the feeling of his lips on her, raking her fingers through his hair, encouraging him on.

Chase reached around her back and undid the clasp of her bra and slowly peeled it off her body.

"God, I love your breasts," Chase murmured as he held both of them in his hands and engulfed her other areola and nipple in his mouth.

As Chase continued his ministrations, Sophie reached down and found the hem of Chase's t- shirt. She pulled it up slightly and caressed his chest and stomach, making him groan in pleasure.

"I love touching you," Sophie said, brushing her lips around his earlobe.

"Don't stop," Chase said in a low voice.

Chase kissed down her torso to her stomach, teasing her navel with his tongue on the way down. Sophie caressed his neck and shoulders and smiled lazily as he kissed. He placed his hands on her side as his lips found his way to her lower abdomen.

She peeled off his t- shirt over his head, tossing it onto the floor. Chase continued to kiss her belly as he began to unbutton and unzip her jeans.

She lifted up slightly, allowing him to take her jeans off her. He moaned appreciatively when he found what was waiting for him underneath: Navy- blue lace v- string panties that matched her bra and that barely covered her mound.

"Ohhh… these are nice, too," Chase said, thickening his accent slightly, as he kissed her over her panties.

"… Please…" Sophie begged him, moving her hands from his shoulders back into his hair.

Chase looked up at her and nodded.

He hooked his fingers into the thin strings of her panties and slowly pulled them down past her hips, thighs, legs and feet. He tossed them somewhere over his shoulder and lowered himself back down to her.

Sophie caught his gaze once more as she lay on his bed for him, naked. She then closed her legs shyly as a reflex.

Her breath caught in her throat as he continued to gaze at her.

His beautiful blue- green eyes were smoldering.

He placed his hands on her knees, gently pulling her legs apart.

She never broke her gaze with his as he lowered himself down to her.

She quivered as he nestled in between her legs and began to kiss the inside of her thighs, watching him intently.

Sophie grabbed onto Chase's blanket as his lips got closer and closer to her center.

She fluttered her eyes closed, lolling her head back, as he finally reached his destination. His lips and tongue traced every petal, slowly and gently.

After what seemed like an eternity, he tasted her elusive nub.

Sophie cried out as he began to flick his tongue against her.

She arched her back on the bed. Chase grabbed her hips possessively, continuing to pleasure her core intensely.

Sophie's breaths became sexy cries as Chase brought her to the edge.

"Oh GOD Chase!" Sophie suddenly cried out.

Chase moaned into her core at the sound of his last name escaping her lips, realizing that it turned him on immensely. He devoured her through her orgasm, her thighs shaking on either side of him.

As her orgasm subsided and as she began to catch her breath, Chase pulled away from between her legs and kissed his way up her naked body again.

Sophie's breath was still shallow as he found her lips again, brushing them with his.

Upon tasting herself on his lips, Sophie's arousal piqued once more.

She quickly undid the button and zipper of his jeans and helped him take them and his boxers off, being careful not to hurt his wrapped ankle in the process.

She then began to stroke his smooth hard shaft from base to tip. Chase groaned at the initial contact, shuddering as he watched her pleasure him.

She then looked up at his face. His lips were parted as he breathed heavily, the fringe of his blond hair in his eyes.

"You are so beautiful," Sophie told him.

She began to kiss his chest and trail her lips down his stomach as she continued to stroke him. Chase rolled over on his back as she positioned herself on top of him.

Her lips reached his pelvis when he suddenly placed her hand on her bare shoulder.

"No… stop…" Chase managed to say.

"But… I want to—" Sophie began.

"Not in your mouth," Chase said gently, giving her a meaningful look.

Sophie parted her lips to begin to protest, but Chase touched her cheek to stop her.

"It'll be over too soon if you do it like that," Chase admitted to her. "And I want it to last."

Sophie smiled and nodded. She moved back up towards his face and kissed him passionately, pressing her naked body against his.

His erection felt incredibly wonderful against her core as he held her close.

She then sat up and straddled his body, placing each of her legs on either side of him as he remained on his back on the bed.

As she stroked his stomach from her position on top of him, Chase, still lying on his back, reached over to his night- stand, opened the drawer with one hand and managed to find a condom after rummaging through it.

He tore open the package and began to sheath himself with the condom with Sophie's help.

She then lifted herself up slightly and lowered her body back down on his, guiding him into her. They both groaned in pleasure as he filled her up.

She leaned over him, placing her hands on his broad shoulders for support. She slowly began to rock her hips in a wonderfully sedate rhythm as he thrust up inside her, holding her hips possessively as he did so.

Her long, wavy hair brushed against his chest as she pushed against him. He thrust deeper inside her, grabbing her hips even harder.

Sophie could feel the intensity rising within her once again. She sat up straight, taking her hands off his shoulders, running her fingers through her own hair, arching her back slightly. Chase gasped at the sight of her glorious, naked body and her breasts bobbing up and down slightly with every thrust.

"Sophie…" Chase groaned, closing his eyes and tilting his head back.

He grabbed her hips even harder, digging his fingers into her skin as he exploded inside her.

She quickly tumbled after him, desperately hoping that he had left marks.

**TBC...**

**THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL JUMP AHEAD ONE MONTH TO THE VALENTINES FUND RAISER, WHERE ALL THE VARIOUS PLOTS WILL COME TOGETHER.**

**AGAIN, PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS CHAPTER! YOUR REVIEWS INSPIRE ME!! :D**


	24. Chapter 24

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS!**

**I PROMISE I WILL RESPOND TO ALL OF THEM SHORTLY. I HAVE TO RUN OUT FOR A WHILE AND WANTED TO POST THIS CHAPTER FIRST.**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER, WHICH IS THE FIRST PART OF THE VALENTINES FUNDRAISER.**

**THIS CHAPTER WILL BE IN SEVERAL PARTS.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! **

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**CHAPTER 24-- PART 1: Please read and comment.  
**

**ONE MONTH LATER: VALENTINES DAY EVENING.**

Cuddy was standing in front of her full length mirror, putting on a pair of diamond pave teardrop earrings that she had borrowed from her sister years ago but had never bothered to return to her.

The earrings were the only jewelry she chose to wear and were the perfect compliment to her deep red floor length gown. The sweetheart top and spaghetti straps beautifully accented her breasts while the drop waist elongated her torso, while the skirt portion of the dress was pleated and flared out slightly, covering her matching red, strappy stiletto heels. She had swept up her raven curls off her neck, completing her elegant look.

While she was contemplating if she needed more mascara, House limped into her bedroom wearing a Hugo Boss black tuxedo, a crisp white shirt, a black straight tie and a deep red handkerchief in his lapel pocket at Cuddy's insistence.

Cuddy turned her head slightly, smiling as she admired how incredibly handsome House looked in his tux.

But then she grimaced when she saw that he was holding her box of tampons in his hand.

"Forget it. I'm not even gonna ask," Cuddy said, holding up her hand and shaking her head as she turned back towards the mirror.

"You have the exact same amount of Super Tampons in the box that you had last month," House declared as if he had solved a case he had been working on.

"Didn't realize you kept track," Cuddy retorted as she applied more mascara to her left eye.

House kept his gaze on her and the box of tampons in his hand, waiting for Cuddy to drop the other shoe. Cuddy glanced at him once more before looking back at her reflection in the mirror.

"I'm a week late," Cuddy confessed.

"A week and three days to be precise, but who's counting?" House replied without missing a beat.

"Apparently you are," Cuddy said, now adding more mascara to her right eye.

House smirked and placed the box of tampons on the dresser as he limped closer to her.

"It doesn't mean I'm pregnant," Cuddy said, still focused on her face in the mirror as House came up behind her.

"You're pregnant," he declared confidently, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"My periods have been irregular since I've been off the pill," Cuddy argued.

"Not THIS irregular," House pointed out.

He then reached up to cup her breasts over her dress, giving them a gentle squeeze.

He watched Cuddy's face to see if she winced in discomfort at all, which would indicate first- trimester breast tenderness.

But she didn't.

"And your breasts aren't usually this firm," House said.

"It's the strapless bra I'm wearing under this dress and thanks for reminding me," Cuddy said sardonically.

"And you've been tired lately," House added, still fondling her breasts over her dress.

"YOU plan a charity fundraiser and see how tired you feel," Cuddy stated, a smile now playing about her lips.

"Since when are you such a Negative Nancy?" House said, closing his eyes as he brushed her exposed neck with his lips.

"…Since when are you NOT?" Cuddy whispered to him, closing her eyes as well.

His lips still on her neck, his hands still on her breasts, House opened his eyes and gazed at her reflection in the mirror from his position behind her.

"Killjoy," House muttered as he let go of her. He then turned and sat down on her bed.

"I just don't want you to get your hopes up," Cuddy said, repositioning her breasts in the top of her dress.

"I don't have my hopes up. I'm merely stating the facts," House said, watching her fix herself with slight amusement.

"I'm not pregnant," Cuddy repeated, turning around to see what the back of her dress looked like.

"Care to make it interesting?" House asked, arching his eyebrow.

Cuddy spun around to face him with a smirk.

"You want to BET on my ovaries?" Cuddy clarified.

"No, your UTERUS. Go back to med school," House corrected her.

"What's the bet?" Cuddy asked in intrigue, placing her hands on her hips

"We'll take a pregnancy test tonight at midnight. If it's positive, I get a month off clinic duty," House replied, getting up from the bed.

"A MONTH?! No way," Cuddy stated vehemently.

"And if it's negative, I have to catch up on all the paperwork that I've let lapse… and… we keep trying," House offered.

"Forget it. You'll just get Kutner to do it because Cameron doesn't work for you anymore," Cuddy scoffed.

House furrowed his brow slightly at her comment.

"I'm assuming you mean the paperwork part and not the 'keep trying' part," he clarified.

"If it's positive, you get TWO WEEKS off Clinic Duty…" Cuddy began.

"And if it's negative… you have to do EXTRA Clinic Duty…" she continued.

"And we keep trying," Cuddy finished with a grin.

House pretended to consider her offer and nodded once.

"Fine," he acquiesced.

"You're that positive I'm pregnant?" Cuddy asked him.

"I'm that positive I can get Kutner to cover my extra clinic hours," House retorted.

He then pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"And I'm ALSO positive that we're gonna keep trying even if you ARE pregnant," House added with a glint in his crystal blue eyes.

Cuddy reached into the pocket of his tuxedo jacket and fished out the keys to his car.

"I'm driving," Cuddy told him with a confident smile. 

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Around a half- hour later, the lobby to Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital was filled with doctors, nurses, major benefactors, donors and their families, all dressed in formal attire, to enjoy the Valentine's Eve Benefit to raise funds for Princeton's brand new Children's Hospital Annex.

The lobby of the hospital had been completely transformed from what it looked like on a daily basis into an elegant party room. The charge nurse's station had been turned into a make- shift bar, complete with top shelf liquors and elaborate trays of hors d'ourvres. There was a jazz combo playing cocktail music in one corner of the room.

There were bar tables strategically placed around the room with tall, thin vases in the center of each table filled with long- stemmed red roses and scattered red rose petals around each vase. In addition, there were long, rectangular tables along the far walls, covered in sumptuous red velvet tablecloths. On each table were various items that were part of a Silent Auction that would take place later that evening. The lighting in the room had been dimmed to create a more intimate atmosphere.

Wilson and Debbie were standing together at one of the bar tables, enjoying champagne with sliced strawberries. Debbie's back was facing the hospital entrance, but Wilson had a perfect view of the front entrance to the lobby.

From his vantage point, Wilson was watching Cuddy greet the guests that had entered the hospital several feet away from the entrance with a smile as she encouraged them to buy a raffle for a drawing that would be held at the end of the evening.

To Wilson's shock, House was standing right by her side, smiling and greeting the guests as well.

"Something's up," Wilson said, jutting his head in House and Cuddy's direction.

Debbie turned around to see House and Cuddy standing together.

"He's probably trying to break his record for the most inappropriate things he's ever said in one evening," Debbie said.

"Either that, or it's the apocalypse," Wilson quipped, tilting his head slightly.

Debbie laughed and saw a smile form in Wilson's eyes as he kept staring at House and Cuddy across the room.

"House's happiness makes you happy," Debbie stated simply.

Wilson darted his eyes away from House and gazed at Debbie. She looked smolderingly sexy in her red flowing, silk empire waist one- shoulder cocktail dress with a hem that came down to her knees and matching open- toed red heels.

"There are other things that make me happy besides House's happiness," Wilson told her.

Debbie smiled softly at Wilson. Her heart fluttered as the dimple that she loved so much appeared on his left cheek as he smiled back at her.

"Did anyone ever tell you how handsome you look in a tuxedo?" Debbie asked him as she placed her champagne glass on the table and adjusted the red and black striped bowtie he was wearing with his tux.

"No, but if you act now, you could be the first," Wilson said with a grin as he leaned forward to kiss her. 

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While Wilson and Debbie were kissing across the room, Cuddy thanked another major benefactor and his wife for coming to the Fundraiser as she gave him the two raffle tickets they had just purchased.

"So are you going to clue me in on exactly why you're greeting guests with me, or do I get to phone a friend?" Cuddy asked House.

House was staring at Wilson and Debbie kiss at their table with interest, while Cuddy waited for an answer to her question.

"Pregnant women usually experience a sudden drop in blood pressure at the beginning of their pregnancy. I'm just here to prevent you from hitting your head when you faint," House replied dryly, keeping his eyes on Wilson and Debbie.

"I'm not pregnant!" Cuddy hissed between her smile as more guests entered the lobby of the hospital.

"Wow. Denial AND anger in one sentence," House quipped as he turned towards her. 

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At around the same time, Chase and Sophie had entered the lobby of the hospital. Chase helped Sophie out of her long coat and handed it to someone who handed him a ticket for him to claim it later.

As Sophie placed the claim ticket in her beaded clutch purse, Chase gave her a long, lingering once- over in her silk Bordeaux – red strapless cocktail dress. Chase's eyes lingered over the top curves of her breasts that were accented by the strapless neckline, the way the silk bow cinched the center of the dress, accenting her supple waist and bustline, and how the hem above her knees and matching heels drew attention to her toned, shapely legs.

He was thrilled that she had chosen to wear her hair down, her soft, brown waves cascading over her bare shoulders and back.

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

"Did I tell you how fucking gorgeous you look tonight?" Chase murmured in her ear.

Sophie's eyes sparkled as she returned his gaze. She took in the subtle, spicy scent of his cologne, feeling her heart hammer in her chest at the sight of Chase in his black tux, crisp red silk shirt and matching red silk tie, which made his blue- green eyes look more green than blue.

"Yeah, but you can tell me again," Sophie joked.

Chase captured her lips in a butterfly of a kiss, making her knees go weak from under her.

"You look fucking gorgeous tonight," Chase whispered against her lips.

"You say the sweetest things, baby," Sophie giggled.

Sophie then slipped her hand through Chase's arm as they made their way over to House and Cuddy.

"Nice to see that someone actually dressed you tonight," House said, looking Chase up and down as he kissed Cuddy hello on her cheek.

"Oh shut up," Cuddy told House, slapping his chest with her free hand as she held the raffles in the other. "You both look great," she added to them.

"Thank you. So do you," Sophie replied to her with a smile as she leaned in to kiss her cheek.

House flashed Sophie a look of mock hurt.

"Yeah, you look great, too," Sophie admitted begrudgingly to House with a teasing grin on her face.

But House suddenly focused on the fact that Chase was holding his rosewood cane in his hand.

"Your ankle still hurt or is there some cripple bachelor auction that I wasn't told about?" House asked him.

"Still hurts a little," Chase said casually as he began to scan the room.

"A bachelor auction would have been great! Why didn't you give me that idea before?" Cuddy demanded of House.

"I was too busy counting your tampons, remember?" House said pointedly.

At this, Chase immediately snapped his head around to stare at both House and Cuddy.

Cuddy's face had turned a shade of red that almost matched her dress perfectly.

"…Why don't we go say 'hi' to my brother and get drinks?" Sophie suggested to Chase, hoping to ease the tension that had just surfaced between the four of them.

"That's a good idea," Chase agreed, knowing that Cuddy wasn't going to let House live down that comment.

"We'll see you later," Sophie said to them as she took Chase's arm once more.

House turned around to watch Chase walk away, scrutinizing his gait that was supported by his cane.

"You're such an ass," Cuddy told him.

"But I'm an ass who's getting a month off Clinic Duty after tonight," House told her.

Before Cuddy could respond with the fact that a month of Clinic Duty would be all that he would be getting tonight, her attention was focused back on the entrance to the hospital.

Because Drs. Allison Cameron and Neil Stern had just entered the lobby.

"… wow," Cuddy said as she saw Cameron.

"What?" House said, turning back to see what Cuddy was looking at.

And then his jaw dropped.

Cameron was wearing a ruby red empire waisted satin and chiffon gown. The satin, boned bodice was tucked in at the top and the goddess- like chiffon skirt flowed down to the floor. She had pulled her blonde hair away from her face in a beaded clip, and it cascaded down her back.

House couldn't take his eyes off her as she and Stern approached him and Cuddy.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Lisa," Stern said, extending his hand.

Cuddy faltered slightly, as she was completely stunned.

"It's… nice to see you too, Neil," Cuddy said, taking his hand and shaking it in an attempt to recover.

"It's great to see you, House," Cameron said politely.

"Yeah. You too," House said, still staring at her.

The four of them remained staring at each other for a few moments, until Stern broke the silence.

"Well, shall we get some champagne?" Stern asked Cameron gallantly as he took her hand and placed it in the crook of his elbow.

"I'd love to," Cameron replied.

"Dr. House. Dr. Cuddy," Stern said to each of them as he led Cameron away to the bar.

"Well, THAT was awkward," House said sarcastically.

"… yeah…" Cuddy said, still watching them.

"So who's better in the sack? Me or him?" House asked.

Cuddy didn't reply, still staring at Cameron and Stern as they ordered drinks from the bar.

"Wow. If I knew that seeing one of your former employees would stun you into silence, I would have asked Cameron to come visit on a weekly basis," House snarked to Cuddy.

"That's not why I'm stunned," Cuddy said.

House furrowed his brow. "Then why—" he began.

"The last I heard, Stern was still a married man," Cuddy said. "So what's he doing here with Cameron?"

House raised his eyebrows in intrigue as a new puzzle presented itself.

TBC…


	25. Chapter 24 PART 2: MORE OF THE PARTY

**HI EVERYONE!**

**SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO POST THIS NEXT PART. THE SITE HASN'T BEEN WORKING FOR THE LAST THREE DAYS, AND I'VE HAD THIS NEXT PART READY FOR A WHILE!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT PART OF THE PARTY.**

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**CHAPTER 24—PART 2: Please read and comment.**

A little while later, Chase and Sophie were standing around one of the cocktail tables at the Valentines Fundraiser with Wilson and Debbie, enjoying champagne and strawberries.

Sophie smiled warmly as she watched her brother and Debbie together. Wilson had a grin on his face from ear to ear as he stood close to her, his arm around her waist.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Debbie," Sophie said sincerely, thinking to herself that this was the happiest she had seen her brother in a long time.

Sophie squeezed Chase's hand, making him direct his attention to her. Chase smiled as well when he saw the smile on Sophie's face, knowing that she was happy for Wilson.

"It's so nice to finally meet YOU. James talks about you all the time and how proud he is of you," Debbie replied.

"What's not to be proud of? Top five percent of her class in med school and a professional poker player," Wilson bragged.

"You really play poker professionally?" Debbie asked incredulously.

"Just last month, she won fifteen grand," Chase boasted, pulling her closer to him, nuzzling her cheek with his nose.

"Wow!" Debbie exclaimed, truly impressed.

But Wilson wasn't impressed. He shot his sister a surprised look.

"You didn't tell me that," he said, waiting for her to elaborate.

Sophie shrugged. "It was nothing. Just a bunch of trust- fund frat house guys," she said.

Wilson still stared at her. "With fifteen- grand to throw away?" he asked.

"It was actually ten- grand, because she had to kick a Vig back to the house," Chase explained off- handedly, as if he always used poker terminology in casual conversation.

Sophie smirked at Chase in amusement. Chase looked back at her, his off- handed expression changing to one of uncertaintly.

"What? Did I not say that right?" he asked her.

"You said it just right, baby," Sophie said with a grin, caressing his scruff with the palm of her hand.

Chase grinned back, placed his arm around Sophie and brushed her lips with his softly.

But Wilson was still giving her a look of disapproval, knowing that Sophie was too smart to play in games at places that charged interest to their players.

"I know you're only in your third year, but are you thinking about a specialty yet?" Debbie asked her, apparently oblivious to Wilson's thoughts.

"I was actually considering pediatrics. I'm really enjoying my peds rotation this term," Sophie replied, turning back towards Debbie.

"Princeton has a great peds department," Chase mentioned causally as he took another sip from his champagne.

Wilson, Debbie and Sophie all turned to Chase simultaneously.

Sophie arched her eyebrow in surprise at his comment, while Wilson and Debbie exchanged amused glances.

"What? I'm just saying," Chase said with a shrug.

"Let's see if I stay in the top five percent of my class by the end of this year before I start thinking about matching at a hospital," Sophie said with a smile.

"You'd match here," Chase said with assurance.

"That's if I apply here," Sophie said, taking a sip from her own champagne flute.

Chase was now surprised, watching her in confusion as she sipped her champagne.

Wilson's expression became even more concerned. But he knew that this was neither the time nor the place to ask Sophie anything.  

"So… did you guys put your names down for the Silent Auction?" Wilson said in an attempt to change the subject.

"…No, not yet," Chase said, still looking at Sophie, waiting for her to elaborate on why she wouldn't consider applying for residency at his hospital.

"There's a weekend at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico up for auction. You'd better get your names on there before they close the bidding," Debbie said.

"You want to?" Sophie asked Chase, smiling at him.

Chase kept his confused gaze on her, still thinking about what she had said.

He then placed his champagne glass on the table and took her hand in his.

"… Sure. Excuse us please," Chase finally said to Wilson and Debbie before walking away with her, using his cane for support.

Wilson and Debbie watched them walk away, both exhaling at the tension that just erupted at their table.

"I just put my foot in my mouth, didn't I?" Debbie said sadly.

Wilson kept his eyes on his sister for a moment, and then turned his attention back to Debbie with a reassuring smile on his face.

"No… I think you just paved the way for the inevitable 'where is this relationship going?' discussion between them," he told her.

Debbie winced. "I didn't mean to do that," she apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Wilson told her. "You didn't do anything wrong."

Debbie nodded and leaned in closer to kiss him.

But as Wilson kissed her back, a nagging thought kept flashing in his mind:

'CHASE DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT JOEY,' Wilson thought to himself.  

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At around the same time, Cameron and Stern were at the bar, enjoying drinks together when House came up to them.

"May I cut in?" House asked.

Stern raised his eyebrows in surprise as Cameron shot him a knowing glance.

"We're not dancing," she stated flatly.

"Then may I have this dance?" House said, extending his hand to her.

Cameron looked at House's hand skeptically and then back up at him, knowing that he had no real interest in dancing with her and just wanted to pump her for information.

"I'm a cripple. This won't take long," House told Stern before either of them could get a word in edgewise.

"I'll be right back," Cameron said to Stern, kissing his lips before taking House's hand.

House led her onto the dance floor that had been set up towards the far end of the room near the jazz combo. He wrapped his hand around her waist and took her other hand in his as she placed her hand on his shoulder, still staring at him with suspicion.

"I'm assuming this dance has an ulterior motive behind it," Cameron said as they began to sway slowly to the music.

"I see you finally got around to dating your boss," House said.

"And I see you did, too," Cameron replied, not missing a beat.

"Except my boss isn't married," House pointed out.

Cameron did a slight double- take, thrown off guard at House's remark.

But she quickly recovered, figuring out that he and Cuddy must have been talking about them.

"Neil's divorced. He's been divorced for a year," Cameron told him.

"That's not the word on the street," House replied.

"The 'word on the street' being Cuddy," Cameron quipped.

"Never pegged you as being a home-wrecker," House continued, ignoring her remark.

"So I'm gathering that the purpose of this conversation is to make me doubt and confront my boyfriend about his 'lying, cheating ways' or to make me miserable or both?" Cameron asked him.

"So we're clear that you don't have a problem dating a married man," House clarified.

"I would if he was still married. He's DIVORCED," Cameron repeated, beginning to get annoyed.

"And how do you know that?" House pressed.

"Because he told me," Cameron said.

"And you BELIEVE him," House stated.

Cameron could feel the anger start to rise within her at House's accusations.

She immediately dropped her hand from his shoulder and let go of his other hand.

"This dance is over," Cameron stated firmly, beginning to walk away from him.

House immediately grabbed her hand, pulling her back towards him. He locked eyes with her, penetrating her with his stare.

"Your boyfriend's still married," House repeated.

"And your GIRLFRIEND dated my boyfriend when she was his student in med school," Cameron shot back.

It was now House's turn to do a double- take. He kept his stare on her, trying to hide his shock.

"Oh I'm sorry. Did Cuddy neglect to mention that to you?" Cameron asked him in a sugary sweet voice dripping with sarcasm.

House quickly scanned the room to search for Cuddy, who was currently standing with a few guests and chatting animatedly with them.

"Maybe you should be more concerned about your own love life instead of mine," Cameron said, before finally walking away from him.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

A few moments later, House limped up to Cuddy, who was all smiles.

"Well, we sold out all the raffles, and a lot of people are bidding in the Silent Auction," Cuddy told him. "Looks like we didn't need a poker tournament to raise money."

"You never answered my question," House told her.

"What question?" Cuddy asked him distractedly as she counted the raffle stubs in her hand.

"Who was better in the sack? Me or Stern?" House asked her.

"Why do you assume I slept with Stern?" Cuddy asked lightly, still focused on the raffles.

"Because Cameron revealed to me that you were dating him when you were his student," House told her.

Cuddy looked up from the raffles and chuckled slightly.

"So you're angry because I actually had sex before I met you? Amazing how I'm not angry about your buddy list of hookers," Cuddy quipped.

"I'm not angry. I'm INTRIGUED that you would actually sleep with one of your professors," House said evenly.

"He wasn't my professor. He was my Chief Resident and we only dated for a few months," Cuddy told him dismissively.

"He was that lousy in bed?" House asked with a mock expression of sympathy.

Cuddy quickly looked around them to make sure no one was listening to their conversation and leaned closer to House.

"I didn't think it was wise or ethical to continue a personal relationship with one of my instructors," Cuddy said in a hushed voice.

"But you didn't have a problem with the ethics of STARTING a relationship with one of your instructors," House pointed out.

"HE pursued me and I ENDED it," Cuddy stated.

"You ended it because you prefer personal relationships where YOU'RE the boss," House said.

Cuddy scrunched up her face in a grimace. "Excuse me?" she asked.

"You didn't have a problem sleeping with Chase at that medical conference, and you certainly don't have a problem sleeping with me," House said.

Cuddy's jaw dropped slightly at his blunt statement.

"Are you really that addicted to conflict that you have to start a fight with me every chance you get?" Cuddy demanded.

"The guy is obviously here to shove it in your face that he's with Cameron, and you seemed to care deeply about it when they walked in," House argued.

"I don't CARE that he's with Cameron. I was surprised to see him with another woman!" Cuddy said in agitation.

"How did you know he was still married? You still keep in touch with him?" House asked accusingly.

At this, the corners of Cuddy's mouth turned up slightly.

"You ARE jealous," Cuddy stated.

House quickly looked away from her, suddenly interested in scanning the crowd of people in the room.

But Cuddy's smile remained.

"There's nothing going on between Stern and I. That ended years ago," she told him.

"And if you want to know more, maybe you should ask Stern to dance with you instead of Cameron," she added with amusement. 

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 While House and Cuddy were having their discussion at the bar, Chase and Sophie were dancing together.

Sophie sighed happily as Chase held her close to him, their arms around each other.

"I'm having such a good time tonight," Sophie said.

"Me too," Chase said, kissing her forehead as they swayed to the music.

"Are you sure your ankle's ok? I don't want you push it," Sophie asked him.

"I'm fine," Chase told her.

"I hope we win the weekend in Puerto Rico. I've never been there and I hear it's beautiful," Sophie said.

"Yeah, me neither…" Chase said, trailing off.

Sophie hugged him tighter as they continued to dance.

Chase hugged her back, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep the question that was currently eating away at him inside much longer.

"So… what was all that back there?" Chase asked her.

"What do you mean?" Sophie asked him.

"About you not applying to match here," Chase said.

Sophie looked up at him as they continued to dance and saw in his eyes that he wasn't happy.

"I didn't say I wasn't going to apply here. I said that I'm just not sure yet," Sophie said.

"Why wouldn't you be sure?" Chase asked her.

"The match process is competitive enough. And Princeton Plainsboro is extremely selective in who they accept," Sophie reminded him.

"They'd accept you. You're in the top five percent of your class, your brother's a doctor here and your friends with the Dean," Chase said.

"I still haven't taken my boards, and If I DO get in, I want it to be because I DESERVE to be here, not because I know people who can pull strings for me," Sophie told him.

Chase nodded, deciding in his mind not to take her statement personally. Sophie knew that his father had made a phone call to get him hired on House's team, but he had no desire to remind her of that.

But Sophie suddenly realized where Chase was going with the conversation.

"Wait a minute. You think this is about US?" Sophie asked him.

"What else would it be about?" Chase asked her with a confused shrug of his shoulder.

"Whether or not I apply here for residency doesn't have anything to do with you and me," Sophie told him.

"Of course it does. If you're considering PPTH for residency, it means that you're thinking about our future together," Chase argued.

"If I'm considering PPTH for residency, it means that I think I'd be successful here," Sophie argued back.

"Do you really want us to have a long- distance relationship forever?" Chase asked her.

Sophie paused before answering his question.

Just last month, he had given her a drawer at her place, and she was very happy with the way their relationship was progressing.

But she honestly hadn't thought about their long- term plans until now.

"I… haven't really thought about it. We've only been together for a few months—" Sophie began in earnest.

"Excuse me. Don't I know you?" a male voice said suddenly.

Sophie and Chase turned simultaneously to the tall, young man standing next to them. He was clad in a tuxedo, had a bottle of Becks beer in his hand and was smiling at Sophie.

"…I don't think so," Sophie said, turning her attention back to Chase.

"Yes I do. Sophie, right?" the young man asked.

Sophie turned her attention back to the young man and narrowed her eyes, as if trying to place him in her memory.

"Mike, remember?" the young man said to her. "From the poker game?"

Sophie suddenly felt her stomach rise up into her throat as she remembered him as the guy who ordered one of his goons at his frat house to break Joey's nose.

And she had never told Chase the details about that night.

Or about Joey.

"My parents are major benefactors of this hospital, and they dragged me to this thing. Upside is that all the booze is free," Mike said to both of them with an impish grin.

"How do you know Sophie?" Chase demanded lightly of him.

"She and her boyfriend were at my house last month. They hustled me out of fifteen grand," Mike told him with slight amusement and just a hint of self- deprecation.

Chase immediately turned his head towards Sophie, who was clearly uncomfortable with the conversation.

"Joey's not my boyfriend," Sophie quickly stated. THIS is my boyfriend, Dr. Robert Chase," Sophie added.

"Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Robert Chase," Mike said, extending his hand.

Chase glanced down at his hand before reluctantly shaking it.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone," Mike said, gleeful in the knowledge that he had done enough damage for one evening.

After Mike walked away, Chase folded his arms across his chest and stared at Sophie, his face demanding an explanation, the throb in his ankle suddenly increasing.

"Something you forget to tell me?" Chase asked her.

TBC…


	26. Chapter 24 PART 3: STILL AT THE PARTY

**HI EVERYONE!**

**SO GOOD TO SEE UP AND RUNNING AGAIN!**

**THANKS FOR READING AND FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS! AS USUAL, I RESPONDED TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY.**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER-- WE'RE STILL AT THE PARTY**

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**CHAPTER 24—PART 3: PLease read and comment.**

For the last few minutes, Cameron was watching Chase and Sophie from her table across the room.

She had been watching them as some young guy that she didn't recognize interrupt them while they were dancing intimately.

She watched him speak to Chase and Sophie for a few moments and then leave with a smile on his face.

But Chase didn't look happy at all.

She watched him fold his arms across his chest and tilt his head slightly, as if he was waiting for Sophie to explain something to him.

She then watched Sophie lean towards Chase and whisper something to him.

And as Chase and Sophie left the dance floor and eventually left the party room together, she kept her gaze on them, knowing in her mind that something was wrong.

"What's so interesting?" Stern said all of a sudden.

Cameron snapped her head around to face Stern, who was eating a stuffed mushroom off of the plate of hors d'ouvres that they had been sharing. She shrugged her shoulder and took a stuffed mushroom for herself off the plate.

"Nothing," Cameron said off- handedly with a smile and a shake of her head.

Stern nodded back. "So your dance with House ended pretty quickly," he commented.

Cameron wiped her mouth with a nearby cocktail napkin as she chewed the remainder of the small mushroom.

"Well, like he said, he's a cripple. It wouldn't take long," Cameron said.

Stern chuckled. "So… what did he want?" he asked.

Cameron raised her eyebrows slightly, impressed that Stern had figured out that House had an ulterior motive by asking her to dance.

"To make me miserable," Cameron said in a deadpanned tone.

Stern arched his eyebrow and smirked at her questioningly.

"I'm used to it," she said, shrugging again.

Stern laughed. "Yeah, I figured by now you'd be immune to him," he said.

Cameron smiled in response as Stern picked up another mushroom off his plate.

As she kept her gaze on him, the conversation that she had with House on the dance floor kept repeating over and over in her mind.

_**"SO WE'RE CLEAR THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM DATING A MARRIED MAN," House had said.**_

_**"I WOULD IF HE WAS STILL MARRIED. HE'S DIVORCED," Cameron had stated in annoyance.**_

_**"AND YOU BELIEVE HIM," House had shot back.**_

As Stern took a sip of his champagne, Cameron racked her brain to try to desperately come up with a reason why House would bother to make up a lie about Stern.

But she couldn't think of one.

But at the same time, she didn't want to believe that her boyfriend would lie to her either.

Things had quickly progressed between her and Stern. Over the past month, they had been spending more time together. True, they always stayed at her place, but she didn't mind. She loved her new apartment and she especially loved it when they cooked gourmet meals in her kitchen.

And she especially enjoyed making love in her queen- sized bed and waking up in his arms the next morning.

But House's words wouldn't let go of her.

She knew that she couldn't bluntly ask Stern if he was still married, especially while they were still at the party. It would make too much of a scene, and he would get incredibly defensive about it.

Not having any desire to ruin their evening, she knew that she had to resort to manipulation to try to get to the truth.

"Sometimes I still can't believe what comes out of House's mouth," Cameron said, shaking her head as if in disbelief.

"What did he say?" Stern asked him.

Cameron leaned in closer to him and plastered a look on her face as if she was about to say something completely ridiculous.

"He said that you're still married," Cameron said dismissively, trying to sound as if she wasn't currently entertaining the notion herself.

Stern smirked slightly and leaned closer to her.

"Oh really. And where would he get that idea?" Stern asked her, apparently amused.

"He said Cuddy told him," Cameron said off- handedly.

Stern chuckled and merely shook his head.

Cameron watched his reaction intently, trying to determine if House had told her the truth.

"You'd think that after all these years, Cuddy would get tired of playing this game with me by now," Stern said.

Cameron furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Remember when I told you that I have a love- hate relationship with her?" Stern asked her.

Cameron nodded her head, hoping that his next sentence would explain everything and leave the doubts that House had planted in her mind about him behind.

"Ever since she dumped me, we've been finding little ways to make each other miserable," Stern said.

Cameron did a slight double- take.

"...And?" she asked, expecting more.

"And I can't believe she would stoop this low to do it. I mean, what does she have to gain by making you miserable too by telling a lie like that?" Stern asked her.

Cameron searched his face for any signs of deception.

But she saw none.

Having no choice but to take him at his word, she merely smiled impishly.

"I guess she's been hanging out with House long enough to pick up on his personality traits," she joked.

Stern laughed out loud and took her hand.

"C'mon. Let's dance," he told her. 

----------------------------------------------------------------

While Cameron and Stern were talking at their table, Chase and Sophie had left the lobby and had walked into the Clinic where they could talk without the party guests listening to their conversation.

They were sitting in the waiting room of the Clinic in chairs.

Chase kept an even, cool gaze on her.

But Sophie had trouble looking at Chase directly.

"So who's Joey?" Chase asked her softly.

"He's nobody," Sophie said, looking at the floor.

Chase cocked his head slightly, merely staring at her with arched eyebrows, waiting for her to tell him the truth.

Sophie exhaled loudly and lolled her head back, knowing that she didn't have a choice but to spill her guts.

"He's my ex- boyfriend," Sophie stated flatly, finally meeting his eyes with hers.

Chase nodded slowly, his even, cool expression remaining.

"He's two years older than me. We dated when I was an undergrad. I broke up with him when he dropped out of school to be a rounder full time," Sophie continued.

"And?" Chase said calmly, folding his arms across his chest.

"…And… we still hustle poker together," Sophie admitted.

"And how do you do that, exactly?" Chase asked with a slightly condescending tone.

"He sets up the games. If we both sit, we split the white meat. If I sit, he takes a cut, and if he sits, I take a cut," Sophie told him.

"And when were you planning on telling me this?" Chase said, his voice now sounding as if he was her father and he was scolding her for disobeying him.

"I was going to tell you… but it just never seemed like the right time," Sophie said, looking back down at her lap.

Chase kept his stare on her.

He didn't smile. He didn't frown.

He just kept staring.

"Are you still sleeping with him?" he suddenly asked her.

Sophie snapped her head up, a look of utter shock on her face.

"NO!!!" She exclaimed, her eyes incredibly widened. "Why would you even THINK such a thing?!"

Chase was completely undaunted by her vehement denial. He shrugged and turned down his lower lip.

"Maybe… you don't want to do your residency here because you got something back in Boston—" Chase began.

"Are you SERIOUS?!?" Sophie demanded, now feeling the anger growing inside her.

Chase didn't reply.

Without another word, Sophie opened the small clutch purse she had been carrying and took out her cell phone, thrusting it at Chase.

"Call him," Sophie stated.

"… What?" Chase asked, not sure if he had heard her correctly.

"Call Joey _RIGHT NOW_ and ask him if there's anything going on between us," Sophie demanded, her eyes now penetrating his.

But Chase merely laughed in disgust.

"I'm not gonna do that," he stated haughtily, scrunching up his face.

"Why not?" Sophie asked him angrily.

"Because he'll only DENY it just like you did," Chase replied, with absolutely no emotion in his voice.

Sophie's lips parted slightly.

She felt as if she had been slapped by Chase's words.

Just then, Wilson walked into the Clinic.

"Hey, I've been looking for you two. They're about to announce the raffle winners," Wilson said.

But Chase and Sophie didn't acknowledge them in any way.

"You really don't believe me," Sophie said to Chase, barely above a whisper.

Wilson suddenly realized that they had walked in at an inopportune moment.

"Give me one reason why I should believe you," Chase replied in a low voice.

"Because I LOVE you and I would never cheat on you!!" Sophie exclaimed.

Wilson inhaled and looked down at the floor, thrusting his hands awkwardly in his pockets.

"_I guess she told him about Joey_," Wilson muttered under his breath.

"Who's Joey?" House suddenly asked from behind him.

Wilson quickly spun around, completely stunned to see House standing right behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Wilson asked.

"I saw those two leave, and then I saw you leave. I figured something interesting was happening," House said with a shrug.

While House and Wilson were bickering, Chase felt the throb in his ankle begin to intensify.

"You love me, but you lied to me," Chase said coldly to Sophie, as the pain began to radiate up to his shin.

Sophie stared incredulously at him and then a curt chuckle escaped her lips.

"So… people who love each other don't lie to each other," Sophie clarified flatly.

"That's right," Chase stated argumentatively.

"Ok, then let's talk about how you got addicted to Vicodin and lied to me about it," Sophie spat out.

House and Wilson exchanged glances, feeling the tension in the room begin to rise.

Wilson cringed while House smirked ever so slightly as Sophie folded her arms across her chest.

Chase merely looked away from her, pressing his tongue against the inside of his cheek in impatience.

"Not interested in that? Then how about when you told me that you had food poisoning but you were really DETOXING?" Sophie demanded bitterly.

"Ok, I get it. Any other character flaws you feel like pointing out to me?" Chase asked her, his defensiveness and his pain growing simultaneously.

"Yeah. When I gave you that phone to call Joey, what you should have said was 'I'm not gonna call him because I TRUST YOU, Sophie," she said evenly.

"Why do you still play with him?" Chase asked her accusingly.

"Because my daddy didn't make a phone call to land me a cushy fellowship with the best diagnostician in the country," Sophie told him in a menacing tone.

"Just so we're clear, I fired him two years ago," House piped up.

"Yeah? Well it looks like Robbie made _DAMN_ well sure that Cuddy would NEVER fire him, didn't he?" Sophie said, her eyes shooting daggers at Chase.

Chase felt his breath catch in his throat at her remark, completely caught off guard that she would accuse him of sleeping with Cuddy merely to keep his job.

House raised his eyebrows, impressed at her low blow.

"_Whoa_," Wilson whispered.

"Um, excuse me. Dr. House?" Debbie suddenly said behind him, standing in the doorway of the Clinic.

"Not now. It's just getting good," House said to her dismissively.

"I think you'd better come back to the party with me," Debbie said in a nervous voice.

"Come back in five minutes," House said, waving his hand at her, his eyes still on Chase and Sophie, hoping that they would start slapping each other.

"I don't think so," Debbie said firmly, not moving from her spot.

House and Wilson turned around to face her, noticing that her facial expression matched her tone.

"What's up?" Wilson asked.

"Cuddy just fainted," Debbie replied.

TBC…


	27. Chapter 25

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR READING AND FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS!**

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**CHAPTER 25: Please read and comment.**

House had been gleefully listen to Chase and Sophie argue in the Clinic, secretly wishing that Sophie would slap Chase across his face, when Debbie entered the room with a concerned look on her face.

"What's up?" Wilson asked Debbie.

"Cuddy just fainted," Debbie replied. 

------------------------------------------------------------

 A few moments later, House, Wilson, Chase and Sophie were back in the party room to see a tremendous crowd of people huddled together near the nurses' station.

House rolled his eyes in annoyance and began to push his way through the crowd.

"Out of the way. Cripple coming through," House called out loudly.

As if he was Moses parting the Red Sea, House held his arms out, his cane in one hand.

The crowd that had gathered around Cuddy moved aside to let him pass through. Wilson followed closely and quickly behind him while Chase and Sophie stayed a few feet back, keeping out of the way.

House looked down at the floor and saw that Kutner was kneeling down next to Cuddy, washing her face with a wet, cold cloth napkin in an attempt to revive her. Her eyes were closed.

"Pulse is normal. I checked her airway. There's no obstruction," Kutner said immediately upon seeing House standing over him.

"What happened?" House demanded.

"I have no idea. One minute we were talking, the next minute, her eyes rolled back into her head," Kutner replied.

"Did she look pale or say that she felt lightheaded?" Wilson asked.

"No, nothing," Kutner replied.

"Mmmm…" Cuddy suddenly murmured from her position on the floor.

Kutner, Wilson and House looked down at her simultaneously to see that she was slowly opening her eyes. Kutner smiled while Wilson breathed a sigh of relief.

"Welcome back," House said impishly to her.

"Thanks," Cuddy said in a raspy voice, her eyes still half closed as she slowly sat up from her position lying on the floor.

Wilson crouched down on Cuddy's other side and helped her stand up very carefully with Kutner's assistance.

The crowd that had formed around Cuddy had not moved an inch and was still milling around her.

"Show's over folks. Nothing to see here," House said loudly.

Several of the people in the crowd tried to get closer to her, but House stepped in between the crowd and Cuddy before they could.

"I know that watching a hospital administrator fall on her ass is loads of fun, but GO AWAY," House said firmly to everyone.

As the crowd reluctantly dispersed, Wilson and Kutner helped Cuddy to a nearby chair, House followed them, sitting down himself across from her.

"What happened to you?" Wilson asked her.

"I don't know… suddenly everything went black… and then the next thing I know, I'm lying on the floor and half the guests are staring at me," Cuddy said.

"You're lucky I caught you. The way you went down, you would have hit your head," Kutner told her.

"Don't be fooled by his heroism. He was just trying to look down your dress," House said to her.

Cuddy smiled weakly in response.

"Yeah, well I get that all the time," she joked back.

"How much alcohol have you had tonight?" Wilson asked her.

"None," Cuddy replied truthfully.

Just then, Sophie came up next to them, holding a glass of orange juice she had obtained at the bar.

"Here, Lisa. Drink this slowly," Sophie told her, handing Cuddy the glass carefully.

Cuddy nodded and took a few sips from the glass.

"Thank you," she said to her in between sips.

While Cuddy was sipping the orange juice, Chase, who had been previously hanging back during the ordeal, took a few steps towards the group.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his ankle, he arched his eyebrow curiously at House.

House was staring at Cuddy with a smirk on his face.

"You're smiling," Chase declared to House.

Sophie looked back at Chase over her shoulder momentarily, but said nothing.

She and Chase had been in the middle of a very nasty fight when Cuddy had fainted, but she knew that this wasn't the time to deal with it.

"He's smiling because he thinks he's getting out of two weeks of Clinic duty," Cuddy told Chase, now smiling a bit herself, never taking her eyes off House's face.

"And… why would he think that?" Chase asked her with suspicion.

As Wilson, Sophie and Kutner were wondering the same thing, House stood up and climbed onto the chair that he was sitting on.

**_"IS THERE A GYNECOLOGIST IN THE HOUSE?"_** House called out loudly into the room at the top of his lungs. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A little while later, while House and Cuddy were in an exam room in the Clinic, Wilson, Debbie, Kutner, Chase and Sophie were waiting in chairs, not speaking.

Wilson, Debbie and Kutner were sitting next to each other in a row of chairs across from Chase and Sophie.

Chase and Sophie had an empty chair between them and refused to look at each other.

Wilson glanced at Debbie, then at Kutner, knowing that they felt the palpable tension in the room just as he did.

"So… any guesses to why Cuddy fainted?" Wilson asked, in an attempt to break the silence and the tension.

"She gotta be pregnant," Chase muttered, making a fist to distract himself from the pain in his ankle.

"Not necessarily," Sophie replied.

Chase shot her a look of disbelief and turned towards her in his seat.

"Combined with House's public service announcement for an OB/Gyn at the party and the fact that Cuddy didn't drink anything tonight—" Chase began.

"So those two symptoms AUTOMATICALLY point to pregnancy? No wonder why House fired you," Sophie snarked.

Wilson, Debbie and Kutner winced at Sophie's insult while Chase folded his arms across his chest, knowing that if he didn't get his hands on drugs pretty soon, he was going to lash out at her from the pain he was experiencing in his leg.

"All right. Then what's your diagnosis?" Chase demanded, the anger in his voice just surfacing.

"Maybe her BP dropped," Sophie said.

"Which is extremely COMMON in pregnant women," Chase said in a condescending voice.

"Or she might have low blood sugar," Sophie offered.

"Oh so suddenly she's hypoglycemic? Maybe you should spend more time studying instead of hustling poker with your ex," Chase said bitterly.

"Maybe her blood sugar is low because she just didn't EAT enough today," Sophie shot back.

"She' d have felt DIZZY before that would happen, which she didn't. She said suddenly everything went black—" Chase continued.

"Gee, I'm so glad I brought this up," Wilson muttered out loud sarcastically.

Chase and Sophie suddenly stopped arguing upon hearing Wilson's voice.

They glared at each other, knowing full well that they weren't fighting about Cuddy's condition.

Chase then turned away from her with a disgusted look on his face.

His ankle was throbbing incessantly.

Sophie exhaled and looked down at the ground, realizing that if they were going to ever speak to each other again, that she would have to swallow her pride and be the one to speak first.

"Robbie…" she began in a calmer voice.

"… I'm… sorry that I said all those horrible things to you before," Sophie said softly.

Chase shrugged almost imperceptibly, but didn't turn around.

Sophie then got up out of her chair and sat down to the empty seat between them. She tentatively placed her hand on Chase shoulder.

"But just because I play cards with Joey and I'm not sure where I want to do my residency doesn't mean that I'm cheating on you," Sophie said.

"Who's Joey?" Kutner whispered to Wilson.

"Shut up," Wilson whispered back, staring at his sister and Chase intently.

Chase still didn't turn around and didn't reply.

And between the increasing pain in his ankle and how hurt he was inside, he felt like shrugging Sophie's hand off his shoulder.

"…Remember when you and House told me that just because a diagnosis looks like it fits doesn't mean that it does?" Sophie asked Chase, taking his silence as a cue to continue.

"…Yeah. I do," Chase finally mumbled.

"So what does that tell you?" Sophie asked him sweetly.

At this, Chase turned around to face her. She had a sad, yet contrite smile on her face as she placed her hands gently on top of his.

"Robbie, you're the only man I've ever loved in my life. You're _EVERYTHING_ to me. I would never jeopardize what we have," Sophie told him sincerely.

Chase looked into her eyes as Sophie reached up to caress his face, expecting him to lean against her hand and kiss her palm.

But he didn't.

He just stared back at her with emotionless eyes as the pain radiated up his shin.

"What do I have to say or do so you'll believe me?" Sophie asked, barely above a whisper.

"I don't know," Chase said simply with a half- hearted shrug.

Sophie felt as if she had been stabbed by his answer. Her heart sank and a wave of nausea enveloped her.

Chase then grabbed his cane, pushed himself off the chair and limped out of the Clinic.

Wilson got up from his chair. "Chase," he called out.

"No, let him go," Sophie said sadly.

Wilson turned around, shocked to see the defeated expression on Sophie's face.

"He's being ridiculous. You're not cheating on him," Wilson said.

Sophie couldn't meet her brother's eyes. She looked down at the floor, wishing it would swallow her up.

"It doesn't matter…." Sophie said softly.

"Of course it matters!" Wilson exclaimed.

Sophie shook her head sadly.

Kutner and Debbie remained quiet as they watched Sophie press her lips together, desperately holding back a flood of tears that was threatening to burst.

"Nothing matters if he doesn't trust me," Sophie said. 

---------------------------------------------------------------- 

Around five minutes later, Chase was limping down the dimly lit and empty hallway that led to House's office.

Once he was standing at House's glass office door, he confidently pushed it open, knowing that House rarely bothered to lock it.

He left the lights off as he limped as fast as he could to the low bookcase that was situated behind House's desk.

Without thinking twice, he pulled the Lupus textbook off the shelf and opened it.

Chase smirked triumphantly upon finding what he had been looking for:

The bottle of Vicodin that Cameron had prescribed to him over a month ago was nestled within the space that House had purposely cut out of the book to hide a secret stash.

Just as Chase had predicted he would.

"It's never lupus," Chase stated sardonically to the empty room.

He then took the bottle out of the book and popped the top off the bottle.

He shook out two pills and and swallowed them dry.

As the Vicodin went down his esophagus and into his stomach, Chase limped towards the House's leather chair and matching ottoman and sat down.

He placed his leg on the ottoman, rested his cane across his lap, and closed his eyes, blocking Sophie and the rest of the world out of his mind as he waited for the high to kick in and the pain to go away.

TBC…


	28. Chapter 26

**HI EVERYONE!!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER. **

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**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

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**CHAPTER 26: Please read and comment.**

A little while later, Cuddy and House were waiting in an exam room in the OB/ Gyn wing when Dr. Steven Sobol, a man of medium height and build in his early sixties with silvery grey hair, entered the room with Cuddy's patient file in his hand and a smile on his face.

"Well, Lisa, you're not pregnant," Sobol announced cheerily.

House and Cuddy exchanged extremely confused glances before Cuddy looked back at her doctor.

"Are you sure?" Cuddy asked with a grimace.

"Urine test came back negative," Sobol answered.

"Do a blood test," House told him.

"I did," Sobol answered without missing a beat.

He then took the printout of the results of Cuddy's CBC out of her file and handed it to Cuddy.

As House examined the test results over her shoulder, which indicated a negative hCG level, Cuddy was still stunned.

"But… my BP was 90/ 50," Cuddy reminded him, shaking her head slightly.

"It's a little low," Sobol admitted with a small shrug.

"And so is your red blood cell count," House added, still looking at the test results.

"Yep," Sobol said in agreement.

Cuddy blinked her eyes twice.

"…I'm… ANEMIC?" Cuddy exclaimed in disbelief.

"Very. Which is why I'm putting you on a daily regimen of iron supplements and recommending that you add more iron to your diet," Sobol said.

Sobol then opened up a cabinet door, took out a free sample box of Ferro- Sequels and handed it to her.

"You're otherwise healthy, and I assume that your menstrual flow isn't excessive," Sobol said as he returned to her chart to make a notation.

"Her menstrual flow is NON- EXISTENT. She's ten days late this month," House told him.

Sobol looked up from her chart and turned his attention to Cuddy.

"Is there a reason to think you might be pregnant?" Sobol asked with an arched eyebrow.

Cuddy looked back at House somewhat shyly, her facing expression questioning. House nodded in reply with a tiny, closed- lipped smile.

"We've… been trying…" Cuddy said, trailing off.

Sobol nodded in understanding. "Do you have any other symptoms? Breast tenderness, nausea?" he asked her.

"No," Cuddy replied.

"Well, you've been off the pill for only a few months. Your periods could still be irregular from that," Sobol suggested.

"Or it could be the fact that I'm forty and that my hormones are changing for good," Cuddy said, in a somewhat defeatist tone.

"That's… also a possibility," Sobol admitted.

"Then I want a fertility test," Cuddy stated.

Sobol tried to keep his amused smirk at bay. For thirty- five years, he had always been a conservative, relaxed practitioner and was used to women rushing ahead with fertility treatments when they failed to become pregnant after only a few months.

"Why don't we wait another month before we do any testing," Sobol offered. "Then, if you miss another period—"

"Steve, if I'm running out of time to become pregnant, I'd like to know sooner than later," Cuddy interrupted firmly.

Sobol looked back and forth between House and Cuddy, considering her statement in his mind. Noting that House was standing right by her side and was miraculously keeping his usual snarkiness to himself, he smiled softly and nodded.

"Then I'll schedule you for a fertility test," Sobol told her.

Cuddy nodded in reply, but didn't smile back.

"Hey, look at it this way. You guys get to keep trying," Sobol joked.

"Well, _DUH_," House said in a deadpanned voice. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A little while later, House and Cuddy had returned to the party and were sitting at the bar. House had ordered a plate of sesame beef hors douvres speared with toothpicks for Cuddy to eat with soy sauce and a glass of orange juice.

"You know, these and the orange juice really don't mix," Cuddy said as House popped one of the hors douvres in his mouth.

"Eat another one," he told her. "You only had two."

"Greg, I'm fine," Cuddy said in annoyance.

"You're anemic," House stated.

"Which isn't serious," Cuddy reminded him.

"You _fainted_. Or did you forget that part?" House asked her.

Cuddy shrugged, rolled her eyes and ate another morsel. She then washed it down with a swig of orange juice, wincing at the taste.

"And when I finally _DO_ knock you up, the anemia is going to get worse, so until then, you're taking the iron and your ban on red meat ends today," House told her.

"I have been tired lately, but I thought it was because I've been working late almost every night these past few weeks to plan this fundraiser," Cuddy told him.

"Guess you were wrong," House said, taking another piece of beef for himself.

As Cuddy watched House eat, she felt a wave of melancholy overtake her.

"I'm sorry I'm not pregnant," Cuddy said all of a sudden.

House turned his head towards her, genuinely surprised at her statement.

"It's not your fault," House said, as if stating the obvious.

"What if it is?" Cuddy asked him, the sadness in her eyes.

House gazed at her contemplatively, knowing that the longer he took to respond, the worse it would be.

"Could be mine. I've never gotten anybody pregnant," House said off- handedly with a shrug.

A tiny smirk formed on her lips, despite her feelings and her best attempts to hide it.

"I thought working girls were sticklers for condoms," Cuddy said, raising her eyebrow, unable to keep the smirk off her lips.

A small laugh escaped House's throat. "I _have_ been with other women besides hookers," he reminded her.

Cuddy shot him a mock look of disbelief and took another sip of her juice.

"So I guess this means I'm jerking off on Monday morning for diagnostic purposes, " House said, his eyes dancing.

"And I guess that means that I'm updating the selection of porn magazines in the Fertility Clinic," Cuddy replied with a grin. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time, Stern and Cameron were sitting at a nearby table, enjoying their own little plate of appetizers, watching groups of people begin to gather around Cuddy to ask her if she was all right after witnessing her faint in front of everyone that evening.

Cameron watched as Cuddy seemed to answer their questions politely as House ignored everyone who approached them.

"Well, Cuddy seems to be the celebrity of the evening," Stern commented dryly.  "I just hope she's ok," Cameron said sincerely, still watching them.

"She's fine," Stern said dismissively.

Cameron spun her head around to face Stern, surprised by his casual attitude towards the situation. When Stern looked up from his food, he noticed her expression and looked at her with slight impatience.

"Oh come on. Don't you think her little fainting spell was a bit dramatic?" Stern asked her.

"Yeah, I think fainting is _SURE_ to win her that best supporting actress award she's been wanting for so long," Cameron replied extremely sarcastically.

"Trust me. She loves the attention," Stern assured her.

Cameron scrunched up her face. "Are we talking about the same Lisa Cuddy?" she asked him in bewilderment.

Stern put his fork down and stared at her pointedly.

"Allison, everyone pretends to be someone they're not depending on the situation they're in at the moment," Stern told her as if she was a naïve child.

As Stern went back to eating, Cameron never took her eyes off him, wondering more than ever if that statement applied to him too. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Sometime after Cuddy and House returned to the party room, Chase had returned as well.

The two Vicodin he had swallowed a while back had finally kicked in. The pain in his ankle was almost gone and he felt much calmer.

But now that he was able to think clearly, he completely regretted everything he had said to Sophie.

He had been truly surprised at her verbal stabs during their fight. She knew where to hit him where it hurt.

But as he replayed the events in his mind, he couldn't blame her for being angry.

He had accused her of cheating on him without any proof, and he knew deep in his heart that Sophie was completely devoted to him.

But ever since he stormed out of the Clinic and went to House's office to retrieve his secret stash, he had no idea where she was.

And she hadn't come looking for him.

He was sitting at a table by himself in a far corner of the room, nursing a beer when one of the hosts of the evening had announced that Dr. Allison Cameron and Dr. Neil Stern had won the weekend for two at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico in the Silent Auction.

As the room applauded for Cameron and Stern, Chase watched the two of them go to the front of the room, hand in hand to get their prize.

He couldn't help but notice that while Stern was all smiles, Cameron's facial expression was less than cheery.

But before he could put any more thought into Cameron's mood, Wilson suddenly stormed up to him.

"You're an _IDIOT_," Wilson declared.

"And you've been hanging out with House for way too long," Chase muttered, taking another sip of his beer.

"Do you know why Sophie still plays cards with Joey?" Wilson demanded of him.

Part of Chase wanted to admit that he was wrong, but between his bruised ego and Wilson's annoyingly overbearing approach, he hesitated.

"Yeah, because she's not a spoiled rich brat like me, remember?" Chase mumbled in disgust.

"Because she's afraid that one day, Joey's gonna wind up _DEAD_," Wilson spat out.

At this, Chase turned his head away from his beer towards Wilson, completely shocked.

Wilson sat down at the table next to him and exhaled, preparing to tell Chase something that he was sure Sophie never revealed to him.

"When Joey decided to drop out of school to become a full time poker player, Sophie knew what kind of a life that was. She decided that she didn't want any part of that, so she ended their relationship," Wilson began.

"...But… she always kept an eye on him because she knew that he took dangerous risks," Wilson continued.

"What kind of risks?" Chase asked, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"He's been beaten up at card clubs a few times. Sophie had to break up a few fights..." Wilson admitted, trailing off.

"Has she ever gotten hurt?" Chase asked with increasing concern.

"Not yet," Wilson replied somberly.

"And… you don't say anything to her about her putting herself in a situation like that?" Chase demanded, refusing to believe that Wilson would let this go.

"I keep telling her that one day, he's gonna piss off the wrong person and that she might be in the wrong place at the wrong time with him," Wilson said.

"… but she always reminds me that that's why he needs her," Wilson added.  Chase laughed lightly. "She's just like you," he said.

"Yeah," Wilson agreed, knowing exactly what he meant.

Chase looked back at his half- empty beer, mulling everything over in his mind.

"She screwed up. I'm not denying that. She should have been more up front with you," Wilson stated.

"… I should have been more up front with her, too," Chase admitted softly.

"Then maybe you should give her another chance," Wilson suggested. -

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A short while later, Chase limped out the front door of the hospital with his cane. The darkness of the night was illuminated with the ambient lighting in front of the hospital entrance.

He smiled in relief when he saw Sophie standing by the curb. She was wearing her long, black, winter coat and her back was facing him, unaware that he was behind her.

"Hey," Chase said softly, trying not to startle her.

Sophie spun around. Chase could see that her cheeks were flushed from the cold and that her eyes were tinged with red, presumably from crying.

"Hi," she replied, just as softly.

"What are you doing out here by yourself?" Chase asked her, as he slowly moved towards her.

"Waiting for a cab," Sophie said with a shrug, turning away from him once more.

Chase nodded. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm gonna stay in a hotel tonight. Debbie's staying with Jimmy and I don't want to intrude. I'll come get my stuff from your place in the morning," Sophie replied, her voice cracking a little as she tried trying to keep her emotions in check.

Chase only paused momentarily before answering.

"No… that's not gonna work," Chase said, shaking his head.

Sophie pursed her lips together in an effort not to cry. She kept her gaze out on the street and nodded.

"…D-do you want me to get my stuff out of your place tonight?" she managed to ask, barely above a whisper.

"No," Chase replied.

He then closed the distance between them. He touched her chin lightly, tilting her face up to meet his gaze and smiled at her tenderly. His heart broke as he saw her lower lip quivering.

"How about this? You come home with me… you stay with me in our bed… you leave your stuff where it is… and you let me apologize to you all night," Chase suggested as he caressed her jawline with his thumb.

Sophie exhaled, her breath quivering as her entire body relaxed. She closed her eyes, allowing a few tears to escape.

"That could work," she said with a tiny laugh, finally opening her eyes.

Chase's smile contorted into an apologetic expression, his own lower lip now trembling, realizing that he had almost lost her because of his stubborness and stupidity.

"I'm so sorry I didn't trust you," Chase said, barely able to get the words out.

"And I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Joey," Sophie said, the tears starting to flow a bit more out of her eyes.

Chase sniffed and wiped away the tears off her cheeks with his thumbs as delicately as he could.

He then bent down and kissed her lovingly, brushing her lips with his over and over.

Sophie moaned lightly into his mouth, thinking that up until that point, she'd never feel his kiss again.

"We lost the Silent Auction," Chase murmured against her lips as her kiss enveloped him.

"… who won?" Sophie breathed, her legs beginning to feel weak underneath her.

"…Cameron did," Chase replied huskily as he wrapped his arms around her as they kissed.

"… that's… nice…" Sophie managed to say as their kiss became more passionate.

Knowing that they wouldn't be able to finish what they were starting in front of the hospital, Chase reluctantly broke off their kiss and flashed her a mischievous smile.

"I didn't realize my little girl was so tough," Chase said.

Sophie grinned, catching her breath. "How's your ankle?" she asked him.

Chase remembered that he had swiped the bottle of Vicodin that Cameron prescribed him from House's lupus textbook hiding place.

And that it was still in his coat pocket.

"It's feeling better," Chase replied. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

By this time, the party was winding down. Cuddy and House were standing by the front entrance wearing their coats. While Cuddy was saying good- night to the guests, House fished through his pockets in a frustrated manner.

"Wait for me here. I left the keys to my bike in my office," House told Cuddy.

Cuddy nodded, as House turned to head towards the elevator. But after a few steps, he turned back to face her.

"You gonna be ok by yourself, or do I get one of my lapdogs to keep an eye on you to make sure you don't keel over?" House asked.

"Just go already," Cuddy told him, waving her hand at him. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few minutes later, House had entered his unlocked office. He went over to his desk and found his bike keys in his drawer, exactly where he had left them.

As he headed out the door with his keys, his leather chair and matching ottoman caught his eye.

The ottoman was situated a few inches closer to the chair than it usually was.

He looked down and noticed that the groove that the legs of the ottoman had made over the years in the carpet was visible.

House then realized that someone had been in his office.

'_SOMEBODY'S BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR_,' House thought with interest and slight amusement, as if he was the Papa Bear from the famous children's story.

He sat down in the chair and stretched his legs out onto the ottoman.

His feet were hanging off the far edge of it.

House raised his eyebrows as the mystery unfolded before him.

Whoever had been in his office was shorter than he was.

He then noticed that one of the books on the low shelf on the other end of the office was protruding out of the shelf.

He then pushed himself out of the chair and limped over to the bookshelf.

Knowing without even looking at the title that it was his lupus textbook, he immediately opened it to the middle.

The hiding spot where Chase's secret stash of Vicodin was empty.

He tilted his head slightly, knowing full well that Chase would have figured out where he had stashed his drugs.

"Looks like Goldilocks paid me a visit," House said aloud to his empty office.

TBC…


	29. Chapter 27

**HI EVERYONE.**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**I DIDN'T HAVE SUCH A GREAT DAY TODAY, BUT YOUR WONDERFUL COMMENTS FROM THE LAST CHAPTER MADE ME SMILE. :)**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

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**CHAPTER 27: Please read and comment.**

Sometime after 1 AM, in the darkness of Chase's bedroom, Sophie gently ran her fingers through Chase's hair.

They were lying together naked, in his bed, she on her back and he resting his head between her breast and her shoulder, his arm draped over her stomach, their legs entwined in each others.

Sophie smiled at the feeling of Chase's steady breathing against her body.

The two Vicodin that Chase had taken in House's office a few hours ago were still working. He had felt no pain when they made love, and as he lay on her, he was only feeling after- sex bliss.

"Are you asleep?" Sophie asked him softly, breaking the comfortable silence.

"No, just thinking," Chase replied, just as softly.

Sophie nodded. Chase then kissed the side of her breast twice and looked up at her with a slight smile.

"You know, you insulted me pretty good tonight," Chase teased her.

"Don't tell me you liked it," Sophie said with a grin, shifting her position slightly on the bed.

"Where'd you learn how to stick up for yourself like that?" Chase asked her, as he rolled off her and onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow.

"Poker's not exactly a polite game," she replied with a shrug.

A soft chuckle escaped Chase's lips as he rolled completely onto his back, pulling her closer to him. She then rested her head on his bare chest, caressing his skin as she nestled against him. Chase played with her long, brown waves between his fingers as she did so.

"Wilson told me that you've saved Joey's a$$ a few times," Chase mentioned, kissing the top of her head.

"…More than a few," Sophie admitted.

Chase nodded, her hair still twirling between his fingers as Sophie stared absentmindedly on a bare spot on Chase's wall.

"He's a good guy. He just makes bad choices," Sophie added.

"Like playing in card clubs where he could get the sh1t beat out of him?" Chase asked.

Sophie exhaled through her nose. She still hadn't told Wilson or Chase about what had happened the night of the frat house card game.

But after what had happened tonight between her and Chase, she knew that telling him the entire truth was the right thing to do.

"Robbie… something happened at the last game we played," Sophie began tentatively.

Chase continued playing with Sophie's hair and gazed at her contemplatively as she lifted her head and rested her chin on his chest, meeting his eyes with hers in the darkness.

"That guy Mike didn't like it too much that we took fifteen grand off him that night… so he came after us with one of his goons to collect," Sophie said, letting out a breath that she had apparently been holding in.

Chase tilted his head slightly, raising his eyebrow just a touch. He stopped playing with the lock of hair that he had been holding gently between his fingertips.

"Mike demanded his money back… Joey refused to give it to him… the guy he was with called me a whore… Joey stuck up for me, so the guy broke his nose," Sophie revealed.

Chase's lips parted slightly, not quite believing that he had heard her correctly.

But the somber look in her eyes told him that he had.

"…When did this happen?" he demanded softly, sitting up a bit in the bed.

"Five minutes after the game ended," Sophie told him.

"…I… called you right after that," Chase said, dumbfounded, shaking his head.

"Which is why I couldn't talk. Joey was bleeding pretty badly," Sophie said.

Chase was now sitting up completely. "Sophie... you could have—" he began, feeling the anxiety rise in his chest.

"Nothing happened to me," Sophie assured him, placing her hand on his chest to relax him.

"Not THIS time," Chase pointed out, the worry inside him evident in his voice and face.

"And I told Joey that was the last time I was playing with him," Sophie added firmly, her eyes penetrating him.

Chase stared into her eyes for another moment, his entire body clenched.

When he saw in her eyes that she was telling the truth, he finally lay back down on the bed.

"Good," he said with a sigh of relief.

Sophie rested her body back down on top of his, listening to his heartbeat, which was beginning to slow down. The dulcet tone of his innocent heart murmur, a sound she had become familiar with over the past few months, was somehow strangely comforting to her.

They lay there in silence for the next few moments, Chase's arms wrapped around her, holding her as close to him as he could.

"…You know… if you need money—" Chase began.

"No," Sophie interrupted.

Chase let out an exasperated grunt. "Why are you so stubborn?" he asked her.

"Because I can always find other games on my own, or I can get a real job part- time. I'm not worried about that," Sophie told him.

"Then what are you worried about?" Chase asked her.

Sophie paused before answering, hoping that Chase would understand what she was about to tell him.

"I'm just afraid that the one time I'm not there… he's going to be in a bad situation that he won't be able to talk his way out of," Sophie admitted.

At first, Chase didn't say anything. Wilson had already told him that evening at the party what Sophie had just told him.

And knowing how many times Wilson had put himself on the line for House, Chase wished that was one trait of Wilson's that Sophie didn't share.

"…You can't always be there to save him," Chase told her carefully.

"I know," Sophie replied.

She then disentangled herself gently from his embrace, propped herself back up on her elbow and smiled at him.

"But I'm not going to worry about that right now," she assured him.

Chase smiled back, caressing her face with his fingertips. "Good," he told her.

She moved closer to him once more, kissing him tenderly. As their lips caressed each others, Chase's tongue delicately parted her mouth, begging for entry.

She pressed her naked body against his as they kissed, lifting her head slightly as his lips and tongue trailed down her chin to her neck.

And then she grinned.

"Aren't you supposed to be apologizing to me?" Sophie reminded him.

Chase looked up at her and flashed her one of his own dazzling smiles.

He then rolled her over onto her back and kissed his way down her body.

"I'm sorry…," Chase said as his full, soft lips trailed decadently over her breast and nipple.

"…I'm sorry…" Chase repeated, his mouth slowly moving down to her abdomen.

Sophie giggled as he gave her sloppy, wet kisses down to her navel.

"Will you ever forgive me?" Chase asked her sexily, looking up at her with an arched eyebrow, his lips now touching the skin below her navel.

"I don't know yet… keep going…" Sophie replied, her smile broadening.

Chase nodded eagerly as he parted her legs and pulled the blanket over his head, disappearing underneath it. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

The next morning, at around 7 AM, Chase was lying awake in bed, in pain.

The two Vicodin he had taken the night before had worn off like clockwork, and his ankle was throbbing.

While Sophie was peacefully sleeping next to him on her side, facing away from him, Chase quietly got out of the bed and headed for the kitchen.

Still naked, he opened the refrigerator door, took out a carton of orange juice and placed it on the counter.

He then limped over to his coat, which was slung over the back of one of his kitchen chairs and rummaged through the pocket, finding his pills.

After popping the top off, Chase swallowed two Vicodin and washed them down with a swig of orange juice from the container.

He then went to the bathroom, took a piss, washed his hands, brushed his teeth and headed back to the bedroom.

Once he returned, he crawled back into bed and spooned up behind Sophie and wrapped his arm around her, cupping her breast, waiting for the pain in his ankle to subside. 

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At around the same time, Cameron woke up in her and Stern's deluxe room in the Princeton Marriott Hotel, where they had stayed for the night after the Valentines Day Fundraiser.

Her eyes closed, she smiled and stretched in her pale blue camisole and shorties, thoroughly enjoying how luxurious the hotel sheets felt against her.

But when she reached over for Stern, she only felt a cold, empty space where he had slept.

She opened her eyes in surprise. The comforter on his side of the bed had been pulled back up and the pillow was propped, as if he hadn't even spent the previous night with her in bed.

When she realized that she didn't hear any water running from the hotel bathroom, she sat up and looked around. Stern's suitcase and all of the personal items he had brought with them for their weekend were gone.

She quickly got up out of the bed and headed for the bathroom, wondering where the he11 he could have gone to, when she saw the note he had taped to the bathroom mirror.

She read it twice before she took it off the mirror, staring at it, completely flummoxed.

_**"ALLY—**_

_**I'M SORRY, BUT I HAD TO GO BACK TO MANHATTAN EARLY THIS MORNING.**_

_**I LEFT YOU ENOUGH MONEY TO GET A CAB BACK TO THE CITY AND FOR BREAKFAST. **_

_**I'LL CALL YOU TONIGHT.**_

_**-NEIL,"**_

She scrunched up her face in confusion and headed back to the main portion of their room.

She then saw that Stern had left her several hundred- dollar bills on the night- stand.

She quickly suppressed the sickening feeling in her stomach at the sight of the money and headed back to the bathroom for a shower.

As she got undressed and situated herself underneath the spray of the hot water, she decided that she definitely didn't want to eat breakfast alone. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An hour later, back in Chase's apartment, Chase and Sophie were in Chase's shower together.

Sophie had her arms wrapped tightly around Chase's back and her legs locked around his waist as he fucked her against the wall of the shower, the hot stream of the water drenching their bodies intensifying their passion. Her perky breasts and the taut peaks of her nipples pressed against the muscles in his chest.

She moaned and cried in extreme pleasure as every thrust of Chase's cock penetrated her as deeply as possible.

Chase sucked on the delicate, wet skin of her collarbone, feeling his erection harden even more so at the thought of leaving his mark on her.

"Oh god…" Sophie cried out Chase thrust into her.

His face buried in her neck, Chase possessively cupped her right breast, teasing and pinching her nipple between his thumb and finger.

He could feel her tight, wet walls begin to swell and contract around his shaft at his touch.

He watched her intently as her lips parted and her eyes fluttered closed, waiting for the sound he loved so much to emanate from her lips.

"… Robbie…" she managed to whimper as her orgasm rocked through her.

As he felt her body go limp against him, he only thrust into her harder and deeper, pressing her body against the shower wall.

She suddenly tightened her legs around his waist and gasped.

"OHGODROBBIEYESDON'TSTOP!" Sophie squealed, as if it was one word, feeling a second orgasm take her by surprise.

"OH GOD SOPHIE!" Chase cried out on the top of his lungs,upon feeling her cum again around him, his voice echoing in the shower.

As he rode out his own orgasm inside her, he decided at that moment that two Vicodin were way much better than one.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A short while later, Chase and Sophie exited Chase's bathroom. Chase was wearing a towel wrapped around his waist, while Sophie had a matching towel wrapped around her body.

"You hungry?" Chase asked her, raking his fingers through his long, wet hair.

"Starving. Let's go out for breakfast," Sophie suggested, her own wet hair lying about her shoulders.

Chase grinned, leaned closer to her, kissed her lips and playfully swatted her bottom.

At that moment, they heard a knock at Chase's door.

"Go get dressed," he told her. "I'll see who that is."

Sophie winked at him and happily headed to Chase's bedroom, closing the door behind her.

Chase, still in post- coital bliss, was far too happy to bother to ask who was at the door or look through the peep- hole.

When he opened the door, he was rather surprised to see Cameron standing on the other side of it.

Cameron raised her eyebrows and pursed her lips together upon seeing Chase clad only in a towel and little droplets of water clinging to his chest and shoulders.

"…Hi," Chase said.

"…Did I come at a bad time?" Cameron asked him.

Chase arched his eyebrow and laughed slightly. "Why didn't you call?" he asked her.

"I did. Nobody answered," Cameron replied.

"Robbie, have you seen my comb—" Sophie said suddenly from behind him.

But she stopped in her tracks once she saw that Cameron was standing in the doorway talking to Chase, who was still only wearing his towel.

Then Sophie remembered that she was still only wearing her towel as well.

A sheepish grin formed on Chase's face as he gazed at Sophie and then back at Cameron.

"…Hi Allison," Sophie said.

"Hi. I'm sorry. I tried calling—" Cameron immediately began, feeling slight embarrassment at catching the two of them in a compromising position.

Sophie matched Chase's sheepish smile as she gestured with her thumb to Chase's bedroom behind her.

"I'm… just… I'll … go put some clothes on," Sophie said as she headed back to Chase's bedroom.

"Would you guys like to go out for breakfast with me?" Cameron blurted out. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

An hour later, Chase, Sophie and Cameron were sitting in a booth at a local diner over their breakfast orders and cups of coffee.

Chase and Sophie were silent as they glanced at each other thoughtfully and then back at Cameron.

Cameron had just confessed to them the entire story about her and Stern from start to finish, including the bitter attitude he expressed about Cuddy at the Valentines Fundraiser the night before.  "So what do you think?" Cameron asked them.

"He's hiding something," Chase stated flatly.

Sophie shot Chase an annoyed glare at his answer. Chase shrugged his shoulders and widened his eyes.

"What? He's NOT?" Chase asked sarcastically.

"I think she was looking for something a little more specific," Sophie explained to him.

"What if Cuddy's right? What if he's still married?" Cameron asked them sadly.

"If he is, it would explain why he was going out of his way to make Cuddy look bad last night," Chase mused.

"It makes sense," Sophie agreed. "If Cuddy looks like a liar, then he looks like he's telling the truth."

Cameron tsked, placed her elbow on the table and rested her forehead in her hand, rubbing it in aggravation.

"How could I be so stupid?" she muttered angrily.

"You're not stupid," Sophie told her.

At this, Cameron looked up at Sophie. "Really," Cameron stated flatly.

"He didn't want to introduce me to his son… we never spent any time at his place… he bashes Cuddy because she's the one person who knows that he's still married who has any connection to me… he left me in our hotel room alone early this morning—" Cameron rattled off, counting on her fingers as she continued.

"And what good does it do to beat yourself up?" Sophie asked her plainly, interrupting her.

Cameron exhaled in exasperation.

"It doesn't do me any good," she admitted.

"That's right," Sophie said. "Remember. HE'S the jerk in this situation. Not you."

Chase smiled to himself as he watched Sophie give Cameron encouragement, remembering a time not too long ago when Sophie was less than thrilled that he still kept in touch with Cameron after they had broken up.

"The way I see this, you have two choices. You can either confront Neil about this, or you can just break up with him," Sophie declared.

At this, Chase's ears perked up.

"There is a third option," Chase suggested enigmatically.

Both Cameron and Sophie turned to Chase. A tiny smile was playing about his lips and his eyes were sparkling.

He then turned to Cameron, his smile growing broader.

"You think House still has that Private Investigator on his payroll?" Chase asked her.

TBC…


	30. Chapter 28

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS AND FOR READING! I PROMISE TO RESPOND TO YOUR COMMENTS VERY SOON!**

**IN THE MEANTIME, HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

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**

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**CHAPTER 28: Please read and comment.**

The following Monday morning, House and Wilson were sitting in the hospital cafeteria, having breakfast.

"So where's Debbie?" House asked in a smarmy voice, as he stole the other half of Wilson's bagel smeared with cream cheese.

"In her office," Wilson replied, not taking his eyes off the newspaper he was reading.

"And not having breakfast with you. Trouble in paradise already?" House asked, raising his eyebrow as he took a bite.

Wilson looked up from the paper with only his eyes, glared at House and then looked back down at the article he was reading.

"No, she had work to do," Wilson replied.

"So she says," House remarked.

"Shouldn't you be somewhere right now?" Wilson asked in exasperation as he put down his paper.

House blinked his eyes twice as he reached for his coffee.

"I AM somewhere," House replied plainly.

"I meant somewhere ELSE where you can't annoy me. Why aren't you in your office?" Wilson asked him.

House didn't reply. Instead, he turned his head to survey the other tables in the cafeteria.

He then spotted Chase and Kutner sitting at a table at the other end of the room.

The corners of House's lips turned up almost unnoticeably as he focused his attention solely on Chase, who was engaged in conversation with Kutner.

He also noticed that Chase's cane was decidedly missing.

"Because the view here is more interesting," House said, still gazing at Chase.

Just then, Cuddy walked into the cafeteria, wearing a brown tweed sport jacket, a white lacy camisole, a red pencil skirt and a pair of black pumps. Once she spotted House at the end of the room, she strode up to him.

"I was looking for you. Why aren't you in your office?" Cuddy asked him once she reached their table.

"Jimmy's lonely. He needed a friend," House replied, making his best puppy dog eyes at her.

"How are you feeling?" Wilson asked Cuddy, ignoring House completely.

"I'm—" Cuddy began with a smile.

"She's fine," House interrupted curtly, focusing back on Chase across the cafeteria.

Wilson and Cuddy turned their heads sharply towards House with widened eyes. House, suddenly aware that they were both staring at him, turned his attention back to them and shrugged in confusion.

"What? It's just anemia. She's on iron supplements and she's eating more red meat," House declared.

"She PASSED OUT on Saturday night!" Wilson exclaimed.

"You should watch her eat a hot dog. Yowza!" House said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Cuddy snorted in disgust. "You don't have a case, so I'm assigning you to Clinic Duty for the entire day," she told him.

"Yes, mistress," House said in an extremely low voice.

Wilson shook his head in annoyance and picked up his paper once again, trying to find where he had left off in the article he was reading.

"… And your… appointment… is at noon," Cuddy added tentatively.

"I'm guessing that 'appointment' is a euphemism for 'ready, aim, fire,'" House snarked.

Wilson raised his eyebrow in interest upon hearing House's comment.

"You're… testing your sperm?" Wilson asked House incredulously.

Cuddy shot a quick glance at Wilson and then back at House.

"I can't BELIEVE I actually updated the magazines in the fertility clinic for you," Cuddy muttered before walking away from them.

_**"I HOPE YOU REMEMBERED MY FAVORITE! HUSTLER IN SPANISH! 'EL HUSTLERO!'"**_ House shouted out on the top of his lungs to her so the entire cafeteria could hear him.

Cuddy chuckled to herself as she left the cafeteria, refusing to give House the satisfaction of giving his comment any response.

House watched her walk away with a slight smile, knowing the game that she was playing with him at the moment.

He then turned back to Wilson, who was visibly stunned.

House snagged Wilson's newspaper and began flipping through it to read his horoscope.

"Put your eyes back in your head," House told him.

"You're actually serious about having a baby with her!" Wilson stated in shock.

House then tossed the paper back at Wilson, rolled his eyes and quickly got up from the table.

"Wait a minute! You can't just walk away now!" Wilson exclaimed.

"Gotta go. I have more people on my 'To Annoy' list to cross off," House told him, heading towards Chase and Kutner's table. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At the same time, Chase and Kutner, who had been discussing the latest India vs. Australia football match, were watching House limp closer towards them.

"Fifty bucks says he wants to talk to you," Kutner said.

"You're on," Chase replied with a smirk.

"Hey **_GOLDILOCKS_**!" House shouted out to Chase from a few feet away.

_"Fuck,"_ Chase muttered, reaching for his wallet in the back pocket of his jeans. Kutner grinned broadly as Chase slapped a fifty dollar bill into his outstretched palm.

As Kutner placed the bill into his own wallet, House sat down at an empty chair at their table and stared at Chase.

"So how did it feel to sit in Papa Bear's chair? Was it too big? Too small?" House asked him.

Chase furrowed his brow in confusion, having no idea what he was talking about.

"Or was it just right for that cute little Aussie ass of yours?" House asked.

Kutner raised his eyebrow at the two men in curiosity while Chase shot a withered look at House.

"If you're trying to embarrass me this morning, you're off to a great start," Chase stated sarcastically.

"I know it was you, Fredo," House said to Chase in a quiet, yet menacing voice, reminiscent of Michael Corleone from 'The Godfather.'

Chase stared at him blankly.

"You broke my heart," House said in mock disappointment.

"You're not gonna kiss me, are you?" Chase snarked at House.

House paused only for a moment, his eyes locked with Chase's.

"Guess this time it WAS lupus," House said.

Upon hearing this, Chase realized that House knew that he had swiped the Vicodin out of the lupus textbook.

House kept his piercing stare on Chase as the color drained from Chase's face and his stomach rose up into his throat.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

A few minutes later, House and Chase were in House's private office. House was sitting at his desk, while Chase was sitting across from him in an empty chair.

Chase, his head down, was too embarrassed to look House in the eye.

"How many pills are you taking a day?" House asked him.

"Two," Chase replied.

House kept his eyes on Chase, not moving in the slightest, and not believing Chase for a moment.

Chase looked up for a moment at House, and then back down into his lap.

"…Four," Chase admitted.

"So that means two on Saturday night, four on Sunday and two this morning," House deduced.

Chase closed his eyes and nodded slowly.

"Cameron only prescribed you twelve pills, so that means you only have four left," House continued.

Chase exhaled. "That's right," he replied softly, keeping his eyes downward.

"Looks like you need a refill," House said.

Chase suddenly looked up at House, his eyes bugging out of his head. House had taken out his prescription pad from his desk drawer and begin to scrawl on the top sheet.

"You're… writing me a SCRIPT?" Chase asked in shock.

"No, I'm giving you my autograph so you can sell it on eBay," House said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Chase's mouth opened slowly, still not believing what he was seeing.

"You swiped the pills because you're in pain. You're in pain which means you need the pills," House stated simply.

"And why do you care?" Chase demanded.

"Because if you're in too much pain to go back to the OR, that means I don't have a surgeon in my hip pocket anymore that I can manipulate," House replied.

A curt laugh escaped Chase's throat. He folded his arms across his chest and shot him a look of disbelief.

"So this is all about how my condition benefits YOU," Chase clarified.

"Exactly," House replied as he continued to write the prescription.

"And what if Cuddy finds out?" Chase challenged him.

"She won't," House said.

"She did last time," Chase pointed out.

"That's because you were _DETOXING_ last time and looked like he11," he said, ripping the sheet of paper off the pad and handing it to Chase.

Chase paused for a moment, his arms still folded across his chest, staring at the prescription.

He then untangled his arms and took the prescription from House, stuffing it into his front jeans pocket.

"Twenty pills should hold you over until I can sneak you into the MRI—" House began.

"You actually wanna do an MRI on my ankle?" Chase asked, still surprised.

"In case you missed that day in medical school, an MRI will allow us to look inside you," House said in an extremely condescending tone.

"You'd only want to do an MRI if you weren't sure about what's causing the pain," Chase pointed out.

"Could be a stress fracture," House said.

"Which may or may not show up on an MRI," Chase countered.

"You also might have re- injured the torn ligament, or you might have a new injury in a surrounding area," House said.

"But you're not entirely sure, are you?" Chase asked him, smiling slightly.

"Or it could be something else. Like a _really cool bone tumor pressing on a nerve_," House said menacingly to shut him up.

"And how exactly are we gonna get into the MRI without Cuddy knowing? I didn't exactly bring my invisibility cloak to work with me," Chase snarked, completely undaunted by House's remark.

"We'll come here in the middle of the night. She'll never know," House said with a dismissive shrug.

"Cuddy knows EVERYTHING. This is her hospital," Chase reminded him.

"Trust me. She doesn't know everything," House said.

Chase blinked once and shook his head ever so slightly, trying to get a handle on what House was telling him.

"You're really willing to risk your relationship with Lisa just to solve the puzzle of the pain in my ankle?" Chase asked him.

House didn't reply. He merely stared back at Chase.

At that moment, the phone rang on House's desk.

"Hold that thought," House said as he picked up the phone, not bothering to glance at the caller ID.

"House," House said into the phone.

"House, it's Cameron," Cameron said on the other end.

House's eyebrows shot up, truly surprised to hear Cameron's voice. He then pressed the button for the speakerphone and placed the receiver back in the cradle. Chase watched him, curious to know who was on the other end.

"Cameron. What do I owe the pleasure?" House said into the speaker.

"I need you," Cameron said.

"Just so you know, Chase is here, so if you want to talk dirty—" House began.

"Chase knows why I'm calling," Cameron interrupted.

House looked at Chase with sudden interest. Chase merely nodded in agreement.

"...I'm listening," House said.

"I need the number of that Private Investigator you hired a few months ago," Cameron told him.

House looked at Chase again, who was smiling with pride that Cameron had taken his suggestion.

"So you believe me that Stern is a cheating bastard?" House asked her over the phone.

"If I recall, it was Cuddy who said he was still married. You were just the delivery boy for that message," Cameron replied.

"I'm impressed," House admitted, turning his lower lip out.

"With what? That I can volley your insult?" Cameron asked him.

"No, that you're going to call your boyfriend out on his evil ways. Can I watch? Conflict turns me on," House told him.

Cameron didn't reply to this. House and Chase waited for her to finally say something, but she didn't.

"...You ARE going to confront Neil about anything you find out, aren't you?" Chase asked her over the phone.

"…I don't know," Cameron admitted.

"Then what's the point?" House asked her.

"I just want to know if Cuddy's right, ok?" Cameron told him, her patience wearing thin.

"I take it back. You're a wuss," House muttered.

"Just gimme the number," Cameron told him in annoyance.

"Hang on," House told her as he put her on hold.

As House began to rifle through his desk for Lucas Douglas's card, Chase stood up from his chair and turned to leave House's office.

"Chase," House called out to him, making Chase turn back around.

"Don't go do something stupid like filling that script downstairs with Marco. Go to some local CVS or Walgreens," House told him.

Chase suddenly realized that he hadn't even thought of that.

He then nodded his head and left House's office with the script in his pocket.

TBC…


	31. Chapter 29

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR READING AND FOR ALL YOUR AMAZING REVIEWS! I RESPONDED TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY. :)**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

**************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 29: Please read and comment.**

At precisely 12:00 noon that day, House walked through the double glass doors that led him into the hospital's Fertility Clinic.

He limped a few steps towards the front desk, at which a woman in her early forties with brown hair and blond highlights wearing a set of blue scrubs was sitting.

"Can I help you, sir?" the woman asked him cheerfully.

"I'm Greg House. I have an appointment," House mumbled under his breath.

The woman looked through the appointment log in front of her while House absentmindedly scanned the waiting area in the room, hoping that no one there recognized him.

"Yes, here you are. Greg House. Right on time," the woman announced in a voice that was a bit too loud for House's liking.

"When's the last time you had your hearing checked?" House asked her.

"… Excuse me?" the woman asked him, a bit taken aback by the question.

"I assuming that you're hard of hearing. Either that or you're an _IDIOT_. Patients' rights include the right to privacy. Why don't you just hand out flyers that I'm here while you're at it?" House snarked.

The woman raised her eyebrow and then laughed in slight disgust at House's remarks.

She then handed him a small, plastic sample cup with a cover on it. House's name and patient number was printed on an adhesive label that was affixed to the cup.

"You're in room six, last door on the right," the woman told him, flatly.

House looked at the sample cup and then back at the woman in confusion and annoyance.

"So… am I just supposed to use my imagination, or is there some reading material?" House asked her.

"Everything you need is in the room," the woman told him in the same flat tone of voice.

House nodded and headed down the hallway the woman had indicated towards room six.

Once he was in the room, he closed the door behind him. The room was similar to the exam rooms in the Clinic, without the examining tables. The only furniture in the room was a chair and an end table with a stack of magazines on it.

House sat down on the chair, placing his cane on the floor next to him and began to sift through the magazines.

He was extremely confused to see that the only magazines that were in the room were the lastest editions of '_U.S. News and World Report,' 'Time Magazine,' 'Newsweek,' 'The Economist,'_ and _'National Geographic.'_

But then, as he got to the last magazine, a smile of realization crept across his face.

"Very funny, Lisa," House said aloud to the empty room with a chuckle. 

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A few moments later, Cuddy walked into House's private room in the fertility clinic.

House was sitting on the chair, reading the copy of _'National Geographic'_ that she had left for him.

"So do you like the updated magazines?" Cuddy asked him coyly, a smile playing about her lips.  

"Leave it to you to give me the only '_National Geographic'_ without boobs in it," House said, still flipping through the magazine.

Cuddy grinned as she leaned her back against the door of the exam room. House put the magazine back down on the end table on top of the other magazines and focused on her.

"So why are you here? You wanted to see the look on my face when I figured out the evil trick you played on me?" House asked her.

"Nope…" Cuddy said, as she locked the door to the exam room.

She took a few steps towards House, stopping in the middle of the room, locking eyes with him for a moment.

She then removed her tweed jacket, her white camisole and unzipped her red pencil skirt, kicking it off with her legs with a flourish.

She then casually tossed them onto the end table, covering the stack of magazines.

House's jaw slacked open in shock as she stood before him, wearing only a black lace demi bra, matching black lace low rise thong panties, and her black heels.

His eyes wantonly traced over her luscious curves as she slowly and confidently stepped closer to him.

Before House knew what was happening, she placed her left hand on his shoulders and leaned over him, her voluptuous breasts in her bra only an inch from his face.

She then unzipped the fly of his jeans with her right hand, slipping it between the slit in his boxers.

House gasped and shuddered at the feel of her hand on his shaft, which was already half- erect.

Upon contact, his eyes immediately went to his crotch and then back up to her face.

He could feel his cock twitch in her hand at the mischievous look in her eyes.

"I figured you could use a hand," Cuddy told him in a sexy voice as she began to stroke him. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

At around the same time, Chase was in the OR, scrubbing out after a bowel resection he had just finished, whistling to himself.

It was the first surgery he had performed since he had been reassigned temporarily to House's team after he had sprained his ankle. The surgery was a success, and he found that he had actually missed being in the OR.

The two Vicodin he had taken that morning were still working. He wasn't feeling any pain and had no trouble standing for the entire length of the surgery.

After scrubbing out, Chase went back to the locker room to change into a new set of scrubs. He opened his locker and heard his cell phone beeping, indicating that he had a missed call.

He dug his phone out of his jeans, which were hanging on a hook in his locker and smiled when he saw that the missed call was from Sophie.

He pressed the speed dial and waited two rings before she answered.

"Hey, superdoc," Sophie said on the other end.

Chase grinned. "Sorry I missed your call. I was up to my elbows in some guy's bowel," he told her.

"How does it feel to be cutting again?" she asked him.

"Great," Chase told her happily.

"I wanna watch you do surgery one day," Sophie told him.

"If you transfer here, you can watch me all you want," Chase told her coyly.

"Don't tempt me," Sophie said.

Chase laughed. "I miss you. When am I gonna see you again?" he told her.

"How about this weekend?" Sophie asked him.

"Really?" Chase said enthusiastically, his eyebrows raising slightly.

"Jimmy's birthday is this Saturday and Debbie just made reservations for all of us to stay at Mohegan Sun casino for the weekend," Sophie said.

"A casino, huh? Who's idea was that?" Chase teased her knowingly.

"I promise I'll go easy on you at the tables," Sophie teased him back.

"Oh I hope not," Chase said sexily.

"Make sure you buy more condoms," Sophie told him with a giggle. "We used up whatever was in that box in your drawer this past weekend."

"I'll get right on that," he told her with a grin.

"Good," she replied, grinning as well on the other end.

"I'll call you later," Chase told her.

"Ok," she replied.

Still smiling after they had said their good- byes and hung up, Chase paused for a moment.

He then reached into the other pocket of his jeans in his locker and found the prescription for the Vicodin that House had prescribed to him earlier that morning, realizing that he could kill two birds with one stone. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Over two hours later, Chase was in the local CVS, waiting at the pick up window at the pharmacy at the back of the store.

"Can I help you, sir?" the female pharmacist behind the counter asked him.

"Chase, Robert. I'm picking up a prescription," he told her.

The pharmacist nodded, turned around and rifled through a wire basket where there were bags of prescription bottles waiting to be picked up. After searching through the pile for a few seconds, she picked out Chase's order.

"For Vicodin?" the pharmacist asked him.

"Yes," Chase replied.

"I need to see some ID," the pharmacist told him.

Chase nodded, dug into his back pocket and produced his drivers' license for her. The pharmacist carefully examined his license and then scrutinized Chase's face to ascertain if it matched the picture.

After what seemed like an eternity, the pharmacist handed Chase the paper bag with his pills inside.

"Thank you. Your co- pay is twenty dollars. Sign here," the pharmacist told him, pointing down at the line in a log- book for him to sign.

Chase gave the pharmacist a twenty- dollar bill from his wallet, took the bag from her and signed his name.

He then left the counter, opened the paper bag and took out the prescription bottle, feeling a strange sense of relief when he saw the word 'Vicodin,' and House's name imprinted on the label of the bottle.

After putting the bottle back in the paper bag, he grabbed a red plastic shopping basket from a nearby stack and tossed the bag inside it.

He then headed over to another aisle where the condoms were sold. He took a 24- pack of Durex 'Her Sensation' condoms off the rack, tossed them in the basket and headed over to the shampoo and hair products aisle.

As he perused the various hair products and tried to remember which styling product he was currently out of, he heard a familiar female voice next to him.

"Robert?" the voice asked him.

Chase turned towards the voice and saw that Debbie from accounting was standing next to him.

As a reflex, he moved the CVS basket that was holding the condoms and his prescription bag behind his body in an attempt to hide it.

"I thought that was you," Debbie said with a smile.

"It's me," Chase said with a sheepish laugh.

"So did Sophie tell you about this weekend?" Debbie asked him.

"Yep. That's why I'm here. I know that I won't have any other time this week to get stuff I need for the trip," Chase said a bit too quickly.

Debbie nodded, finding it odd that Chase would bother to explain what he was doing at the store, especially when she didn't even ask him.

"Sophie and I are still looking for a good steakhouse at the hotel for Saturday night. Do you know any up there?" Debbie asked him, deciding not to comment on his statement.

"No, not really," Chase admitted, still keeping the basket hidden behind his body.

"Well, I'll do some research, I guess," Debbie said, her eyes darting to the basket he was obviously trying to hide from her.

"Did you invite House and Cuddy along for the weekend?" Chase asked, hoping to change the subject and divert her from his purchases.

Debbie looked away from the basket and them back at Chase's face.

"… Didn't really have a choice," she admitted.

Chase raised his eyebrow in amusement. Debbie then shook her head.

"I didn't mean Cuddy," Debbie quickly added, realizing what she had said.

"I knew what you meant," Chase reassured her with a laugh.

They stood there in the hair product aisle, an uncomfortable silence hovering over them.

"…Well, I should probably finish here and get back to work," Chase said, breaking the silence.

"Ok, I'll see you," Debbie said.

"See ya," Chase answered with a friendly nod and walked past her, leaving her in the aisle.

As Debbie watched him leave, she honed her eyes in on the items in Chase's shopping basket.

When she spotted the bag from the pharmacy, she wondered with curiosity why Chase would have to go to a local pharmacy to fill a prescription when there was a pharmacy at the hospital. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Some time later, House and Wilson were sitting at a booth in the hospital cafeteria, eating ice cream sandwiches that Wilson had bought for them.

"So how was your 'appointment?'" Wilson said, playfully making quote marks in the air after taking a bite of his ice cream.

"Delightful," House replied, waggling his eyebrows, neglecting to tell him how Cuddy had given him a 'helping hand' in the Fertility Clinic earlier that day.

Wilson snorted. "I'm still having trouble getting a handle on you getting your sperm tested," he admitted, wiping his mouth with a nearby paper napkin.

"When it comes to my sperm, you don't have to get a handle on _ANYTHING_," House told him, taking a bite from his own ice cream sandwich.

"You really want this baby thing to work out, don't you?" Wilson asked him.

"I believe that was the general idea," House replied.

Just then, Debbie walked into the cafeteria, holding a plastic shopping bag from CVS.

Upon seeing her, Wilson smiled and waved her over towards them. She smiled back and headed over to their table. She then slid into the booth next to Wilson and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

"So are you and Cuddy planning on coming to Jimmy's birthday party this weekend?" Debbie asked House as Wilson rubbed her thigh underneath the table.

"Will there be favors and party hats?" House asked her in a condescending voice.

"No, but they'll be plenty of alcohol and gambling," Debbie replied with a grin.

"Then we'll be there," House replied.

Wilson raised his eyebrow. "I thought you and Lisa were trying to get pregnant," he said.

"So?" House asked him.

"Don't people trying to get pregnant usually avoid alcoholic beverages?" Wilson asked.

"Jimmy, consumption of alcohol is the leading cause of pregnancy. Where did you go to high school?" House asked him.  Wilson smirked and turned back to Debbie.

"What's in the bag?" he asked her, jutting his chin in the direction of the CVS shopping bag she was holding.

"Oh, I went to CVS to get some things I needed for the weekend," Debbie replied.

"Did you get the strawberry flavored edible massage gel? Strawberry is Jimmy's favorite," House snarked.

"No, but Chase got two boxes of condoms specially designed for 'her pleasure,'" Debbie told House with a conspiratorial tone and a grin.

"_PLEASE_ don't tell me that," Wilson muttered, wincing and closing his eyes, trying to block out the image of his sister and Chase having sex.

Debbie giggled. "I ran into him in the hair product aisle. I think I embarrassed him. By the way, is the pharmacy still closed downstairs?" Debbie asked.

Wilson furrowed his brow in confusion.

"What do you mean?" he asked her.

"Chase had a bag from the CVS pharmacy in his shopping basket. I assumed that the hospital pharmacy was closed," Debbie replied with a shrug.

"As far as I know, the pharmacy's been open all day," Wilson said, looking at House for confirmation.

House sat back in his seat and nodded once, saying nothing.

He then quickly looked away from Wilson's stare and focused on the rest of the cafeteria.

As Wilson kept his eyes on House, his expression darkened.

House was hiding something from him about Chase.

"What did you do?" Wilson asked House in a quiet, yet serious tone.

TBC…


	32. Chapter 30

**HI EVERYONE!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING AND REVIEWING! I PROMISE I WILL REPLY TO YOUR REVIEWS VERY SOON!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS CHAPTER AND ENJOY!! :-) **

***************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 30: Please read and comment.**

"Chase had a bag from the CVS pharmacy in his shopping basket. I assumed that the hospital pharmacy was closed," Debbie replied with a shrug.

"As far as I know, the pharmacy's been open all day," Wilson said, looking at House for confirmation.

House sat back in his seat and nodded once, saying nothing.

He then quickly looked away from Wilson's stare and focused on the rest of the cafeteria.

As Wilson kept his eyes on House, his expression darkened.

House was hiding something from him about Chase.

"What did you do?" Wilson asked House in a quiet, yet serious tone. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"What did you do?" Wilson demanded of House.

House and Wilson were back in House's office. House was sitting on his leather chair, his legs stretched out on the ottoman, playing his PSP.

Wilson was standing in front of him, his arms folded across his chest, glaring at House.

"I've never gotten up to this level, so I hope you plan on standing there for a while," House muttered, never taking his eyes off his game.

"There's only one reason why Chase would be filling a script in a pharmacy outside this hospital, and that's if he was filling a script that he shouldn't be filling," Wilson stated.

House didn't reply. He merely glanced at Wilson for a brief second and then looked down at his game again.

Wilson remained standing in the same position, still shooting House the same angry look.

"You wrote Chase another script for Vicodin, didn't you?" Wilson accused.

"It's such a timesaver when I don't have to participate in the conversation," House said.

"He's an _ADDICT_!" Wilson exclaimed.

"He's in _PAIN_," House corrected calmly.

"And how do you know that?" Wilson asked him angrily.

House glanced up at him once more, sighed in exasperation and put his PSP down next to him on the chair.

"A month ago, Cameron sent him a bottle of Vicodin. Before he went to rehab, he gave the pills to me. I stashed them in my lupus textbook. On the night of the Fundraiser, he came into my office and took them," House told him in annoyance.

Wilson shook his head in shock.

"…And that doesn't prove that he's addicted?!" Wilson asked incredulously.

" It proves that he's in enough pain to do something desperate," House replied.

"Why are you enabling him?" Wilson asked, furrowing his brow.

"You see enabling, I see treatment," House replied with a shrug.

"And do you happen to have a _MEDICAL_ explanation for his pain that would justify giving him a refill?" Wilson demanded.

"Not yet. I have to get him into an MRI without Cuddy knowing about it," House told him.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Wilson asked him.

House took a deep breath and exhaled, avoiding Wilson's penetrating stare.

"I haven't quite figured that out yet," House admitted.

Wilson pursed his lips together.

"I'm telling Cuddy," Wilson stated as he turned around to leave House's office.

At this, House got up from his chair as quickly as he could.

"No you're NOT," House stated firmly.

"He's a surgeon in this hospital—" Wilson began.

"He's my PATIENT," House interrupted.

"If Chase screws up a procedure, or if he kills someone because he's high—" Wilson continued.

"He's not high. He's just not in pain!" House said, feeling his own anger beginning to surface.

"He could lose his job and possibly his license!" Wilson declared.

"And so could you," Wilson added.

"…Cuddy wouldn't fire me," House muttered, looking away from Wilson once more.

"What about Chase?" Wilson asked him.

House didn't answer him. He just looked at the carpet, refusing to consider the possibility in his mind that he was putting his and Chase's career in jeopardy.

When Wilson saw that House wasn't going to answer him, he shifted his weight and tried to be patient.

"Just answer me this. Why are you helping him?" Wilson asked him.

House looked up and met Wilson's eyes once more.

"If you tell me the truth, I won't go to Cuddy," Wilson told him.

House scrutinized Wilson's face, trying to determine if the biggest gossip at PPTH was actually going to keep a secret for the first time since he had known him.

"Chase is the only surgeon that will do whatever I ask him to do. If I treat him, he can keep working and I won't have to manipulate another surgeon," House replied simply.

Wilson laughed curtly in disgust.

"So it's all about you. It has nothing to do with Chase," Wilson clarified.

House nodded.

Wilson paused thoughtfully.

"All right," Wilson finally said. "I won't tell Cuddy."

House breathed a small sigh of relief as Wilson turned around to leave his office.

But before he did, he turned around to face House once more.

"But if Chase DOES screw up, and Cuddy finds out that it was because you were prescribing an addictive narcotic that he already needed rehab for…" Wilson said, pausing before continuing.

"Don't come to me for help," Wilson stated.

"Because I won't be there for you this time," Wilson finished.

House, his eyes fixated on Wilson, nodded once.

"Fair enough," House said.

Wilson gazed at House for another moment before leaving his office.

Once Wilson left, House limped over to his desk and sat down.

He then opened the middle drawer to his desk and produced a small, black "At- A Glance" spiral notebook calendar.

He flipped to the current week and saw that Wednesday was circled in red marker.

Which meant that in two days from now, Cuddy would be ovulating.

House raised one of his eyebrows slightly as an idea came to him.

He then dug his cell phone out of his jeans pocket, scrolled through his contacts and hit **'SEND'** once he found the number he was looking for. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time, Chase was hanging out in the surgical lounge, trying to catch a bit of a nap when his cell phone rang in the back pocket of his scrubs. He blinked open his eyes and reached for his phone.

"This is Chase," Chase mumbled, still half- asleep.

"Your dance card free on Wednesday night?" House asked him on the other end.

"What's Wednesday night?" Chase asked him.

"That's the night I'm scheduled to sex Cuddy into a coma. After I do that, I'm giving you an MRI," House said before hanging up.

Chase's eyes flew wide open, still processing House's statement.

After determining that he had heard him correctly, he stared at the ceiling to the surgical lounge, thinking about everything.

And then he remembered that he still hadn't told Sophie that he had started taking the Vicodin again.

Chase swallowed and opened his cell phone once more and dialed Sophie's number.

"Hello?" Sophie answered after one ring.

"Hi baby," Chase said, feeling a mixture of happiness and guilt upon hearing her voice.

"Hi sweetie," Sophie said happily.

"Are you busy?" Chase asked her.

"I'm actually on my way to rounds, but I have a few minutes. What's up?" Sophie asked him.

For a moment, Chase contemplated telling Sophie everything.

But then, he just shrugged his shoulder.

"I was just thinking about you," Chase told her. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

**TWO DAYS LATER—WEDNESDAY.**

Cameron and Lucas Douglas, the private investigator that House had hired several months ago, were sitting at a small table at Tasti- D- Lite, a frozen dessert place on Seventh Avenue and 54th street in Manhattan.

"What flavor did you get?" Lucas asked her curiously as he took a spoonful of his Oreo Mint flavored frozen dessert.

"Latte fudge. What did you find out?" Cameron asked him.

Lucas finished his spoonful and furrowed his brow, a tiny smirk forming on his face.

"…You know, usually it doesn't work like this," Lucas said.

"What do you mean?" Cameron asked him, taking another spoonful of her Latte Fudge frozen dessert.

"You're the first female client that I've ever had who was the 'other woman' instead of the wife," Lucas told her.

Upon hearing this, Cameron put down her cup and sighed.

"So I guess that means he's married," Cameron said.

"Yeah," Lucas replied.

Cameron nodded, feeling incredible disappointment wash over her.

"So what do I do now?" she asked him sadly.

"That's up to you," Lucas told her, taking another spoon of his dessert.

"I've never been in this situation before. What do your other clients do when they find out their husbands have been two- timing them?" Cameron asked him.

"First, they don't want to believe it. Then they get angry, plot their husband's demise and decide which window they want to throw all his belongings out of," Lucas told her.

Cameron chuckled half- heartedly.

"That would work, except he doesn't leave any of his stuff at my apartment," Cameron told him with a slight grin.

Lucas laughed in response while Cameron began to trace patterns in her frozen dessert with her spoon.  "…Maybe… Neil really does want to leave his wife," Cameron said tentatively.

"Dammit!" Lucas suddenly said.

"What?" Cameron asked, surprised.

"House was right," Lucas told her.

Cameron's jaw dropped in shock.

"You and House talked about this?! What did he tell you?" she demanded.

"He said that you always think people are good and that you'd give Stern another chance," Lucas said simply.

"I didn't say that," Cameron declared vehemently.

"You just said 'maybe he really does want to leave his wife,'" Stern reminded her.

"There must be a reason why he pursued me. Maybe he's in a loveless marriage," Cameron argued.

"Look. I don't know anything else about this guy other than what you told me to find out," Lucas said, raising his hands slightly.

Cameron slumped her shoulders, knowing that he was right.

And then she realized that after working for House for three years, she learned a lot more than she realized.

"I need more information," Cameron mused. 

----------------------------------------------------------------- 

Around a half- hour later, Cameron walked up the front steps of an elegant Brownstone in Manhattan.

In her hand, she was holding the information that Lucas had given her.

Cameron steeled herself before pressing the button for the intercom.

"Who is it?" a female voice asked over the intercom system after a few minutes.

"…Mrs. Stern?" Cameron asked into the intercom.

"…Yes?" the voice asked.

"…I'm… Dr. Allison Cameron. I work with…" Cameron said, pausing.

"Your husband…" she managed to say, feeling her stomach rise up into her throat.

After waiting for another few minutes, a very attractive woman with bleached blond hair, blue eyes, and a slim, yet curvy figure in her mid forties opened the door.

"I'm Mrs. Stern. Can I help you?" Stern's wife asked.

Cameron took a deep breath, knowing that there was no turning back.

"There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it—" Cameron began.

"You're having an affair with my husband," Stern's wife stated plainly.

Cameron's eyes bugged out in shock. Her heart hammered in her chest, as she stood there, having no idea what to say next.

Stern's wife opened the door a little wider.

"Would you like to come in?" Stern's wife asked her.

TBC…


	33. Chapter 31

**HI EVERYONE!**

**SORRY FOR THE DELAY, BUT RL WAS HECTIC FOR THE LAST FEW DAYS.**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND ALL YOUR COMMENTS!! I RESPONDED TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY.**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY! :)**

** ***************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 31: Please read and comment.**

Cameron and Mrs. Stern were sitting across from each other at the Stern's glass topped incredibly expensive looking dining room table.

Mrs. Stern was smoking a cigarette, daintily flicking the ashes into a nearby ashtray.

The doctor in Cameron wanted to tell her that smoking was bad for her health.

But she kept silent.

When Mrs. Stern had led her into their swanky three- floor Brownstone, Cameron immediately noted how everything in their house was neutral colored: The hardwood floors were bleached, the walls were antique white with crown molding, the furniture was a natural wood, and the carpets were cream- colored and spotless.

There was a crystal vase filled with white lilies on the dining room table. Even the family pictures were all black and white posed shots with forced smiles. There were no candid pictures of their family anywhere.

As Cameron wondered if the Sterns' fifteen- year old son, Corey, had ever been allowed on the carpet when he was younger, she suddenly noticed that Mrs. Stern was scrutinizing her.

Cameron immediately averted her eyes as Mrs. Stern took another drag from her cigarette.

"Neil does have a tendency to be attracted to younger women," Mrs. Stern said, finally breaking the silence between them.

Cameron looked up at the woman at her comment.

"I just didn't think you'd be THIS young," Mrs. Stern added, with a slight bite to her voice.

Cameron raised her eyebrows when she understood what Mrs. Stern was saying.

"So… you knew all along that he was having an affair?" Cameron asked her.  

"I had my suspicions… but I wasn't sure until you rang my doorbell," Mrs. Stern answered her calmly.

Cameron had no idea what she was supposed to say.

"I'm sorry," Cameron blurted out.

Mrs. Stern grimaced. "For what?" she asked.

"For ruining your marriage. Neil told me he was divorced. I had no idea—" Cameron began.

Mrs. Stern suddenly laughed out loud, effectively stopping Cameron in mid sentence.

"He said he was _divorced_?" Mrs. Stern said, still laughing slightly in disbelief.

"…Yeah," Cameron said.

Mrs. Stern put her cigarette gently in her ashtray, still chuckling to herself.

"You know, you're not the first woman he's had an affair with since we've been married," Mrs. Stern said.

Cameron drew a breath in at this, letting it out slowly, trying not to let the woman's words hurt her.

Mrs. Stern kept her eye on Cameron, watching her every reaction to her words.

"And you're not the _second_, either," Mrs. Stern added pointedly.

Upon hearing this, Cameron couldn't put up a front any longer.

She visibly slumped in the off- white lacquered and plush dining room chair, her lower lip beginning to quiver, holding any tears back that might dare to escape.

"And you didn't ruin my marriage. It was ruined a long time ago," Mrs. Stern said.

And then the flood of tears that were threatening to fall down Cameron's cheeks suddenly disappeared. She sat up a little straighter in the chair and met Mrs. Stern's penetrating gaze.

"…Then… why do you stay with him?" Cameron asked her incredulously.

"Because I'm not about to divorce him," Mrs. Stern said, as if it was the most ludicrous notion in the world.

Cameron couldn't believe her ears. She shook her head slightly.

"I understand that you don't want to break up your family…" Cameron said, thinking of Corey as she spoke, and how hard it would be for him if his parents divorced.

"But how can you stay married to a man who's been unfaithful to you multiple times?" Cameron asked her.

"You actually think this is about my _FAMILY_?" Mrs. Stern asked her with surprise.

Cameron shrugged, her lower lip turning down.

"Well... yeah—" she began.

"You're so naïve," Mrs. Stern told her flatly.

Cameron contorted her face in a confused expression as Mrs. Stern leaned over the table slightly.

"Neil is Chief of Medicine at a major Manhattan hospital. He makes seven figures a year. We live in a Brownstone in Manhattan. Our son goes to the best private school in the city, and Neil buys me whatever I want, whenever I want it," Mrs. Stern told her with an air of superiority and confidence.

"You think I'm going to give up all this AND give him the satisfaction of a divorce?" Mrs. Stern asked her rhetorically, sweeping her hand in the air, gesturing to her luxurious surroundings.

Cameron still couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"But… he's an _ADULTERER_! You could wipe him out financially in a divorce—" Cameron said.

"The money's all his, which means he'd hire the best matrimonial firm he could find, and I'd wind up with nothing," Mrs. Stern said flatly.

Mrs. Stern then picked up her still- lit cigarette and took another puff.

"This way, he gets what he wants… and I get what I want," Mrs. Stern said airily, blowing the smoke out of her lips at the end of her sentence.

"And you're happy with that?" Cameron asked her.

Mrs. Stern blinked twice, genuinely surprised at Cameron's bold question.

"Happiness is relative," Mrs. Stern told her, putting her cigarette out in her ashtray, looking away from Cameron for the first time as she did so.

"The sooner you learn that, the better off you'll be," Mrs. Stern muttered.

Cameron continued to gaze at the woman before her, her mind swimming.

She then got up from the table.  

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Stern," Cameron said politely.

Mrs. Stern nodded and Allison let herself out of their apartment. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"He's married," Cameron said into her phone to Chase.

It was around 11 pm when Cameron had called Chase from her apartment in Manhattan.

It had been over three hours since he had taken his third Vicodin of the day. He was lying on his couch in a pair of sweats and a t- shirt, his legs stretched out in front of him, barefoot.

He was meeting House in one hour from now at the hospital to get a clandestine MRI.

"The P.I. told you that?" Chase asked her, hoping that they would finish their conversation in time. He didn't want to be late.

"And so did Neil's wife," Cameron replied.

Chase's eyebrows popped up slightly.

"You… met his _WIFE_?" Chase asked her in surprise.

"Yeah," Cameron said with a sigh.

"What did you do?! Walk up to her building and tell her that you've been sleeping with her husband?!" Chase asked her with a slight chuckle.

"She already knew before I told her, but… pretty much," Cameron said.

Chase had to smile. "I'm impressed. That took some guts," he said.

"I guess," Cameron muttered.

"How did she already know?" Chase asked her.

"Apparently, I'm not the first," Cameron told him.

Cameron then laughed curtly.

"I'm not even the _second_," Cameron added sardonically.

At this, Chase's smile disappeared.

"…So what are you gonna do?" he asked her.

Cameron paused slightly before answering him.

"I'm not sure," she admitted.

"Well, you're obviously not gonna stay with him," Chase stated, as if the notion was ridiculous.

Cameron was silent on the other end, not responding to his statement.

Chase's jaw dropped a bit at her silence, knowing that it could only mean one thing.

"Cameron… you're _NOT_ going to stay with him, right?" he repeated, almost as if he was telling her to do it.

"Chase, you didn't meet this woman. She was like a STONE. She refuses to grant him a divorce because she doesn't want to give up her rich lifestyle! She doesn't even care that she's hurting her own child!" Cameron argued passionately.

"Did you meet the kid?" Chase asked her calmly.

"… No, but—" Cameron said, slightly caught off guard at his question.

"Then you have no idea if she's hurting her own child. For all you know, the kid knows nothing and he's perfectly happy with the way things are," Chase told her.

"But—" Cameron began.

"And you _KNOW_ that this isn't about the kid," Chase interrupted firmly.

"Chase, I don't want to stay with him because I feel bad for him," Cameron said in annoyance.

"Then why do you want to stay with him?" Chase countered.

"...Because I like being with him. We have fun together, we go to exciting places, he treats me like a princess—" Cameron began.

"_I _treated you like a princess. _HE_ treats you like a _WHORE_," Chase clarified flatly.

Chase's words felt like she had been slapped in the face. A horrible chill went through her entire body after his remark.

Chase knew that his statement had stung, but he also knew her well enough that he had to be brutally honest with her.

"Allison… do you remember when I went to Boston a few months ago for that medical conference?" Chase asked her.

"Yeah…" Cameron said, having no idea why he would bring it up.

"I was so screwed up because you had wanted to go back to House's team at that time… and I thought that Cuddy was only keeping me at the hospital as a pawn in her little game with House…" he continued.

"So I went to a bar… got drunk on Scotch...and tried to force myself on the female bartender that was working there that night," Chase said.

"…Before or after you slept with Cuddy?" Cameron asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Before," Chase replied.

"And… why are you telling me this?" Cameron said, confused.

"Because Sophie was the bartender and she stopped me before I could kiss her," Chase told her.

"…You never told me that," Cameron said, stunned.

"It wasn't exactly my finest hour," Chase admitted sheepishly.

"Why did Sophie stop you?" Cameron asked with curiosity.

"Because I was still involved with you at the time and she didn't want to be the other woman," Chase told her.

Cameron's mouth opened ever so slightly, finally understanding the point to Chase's story.

"Sophie knew that she deserved better than that," Chase told Cameron.

"And so do you," he added sincerely.

Cameron, who had been lying on her bed for the duration of their conversation, propped herself up on her elbow and smiled slightly.

"You think so?" she asked.

"I know so," Chase replied, smiling as well.

"...You know, you really did treat me like a princess," Cameron admitted.

Chase's smile remained, but he didn't reply.

"And I didn't appreciate it," she added, with a twinge of sadness in her voice.

"Don't do that," Chase told her gently. "We both know it wasn't working between us."

"But maybe it could have," Cameron said softly.

Chase took a deep breath and let it out as quietly as he could, thinking of the right words to say next.

He knew that Cameron was in a vulnerable state at the moment, and he didn't want to make it worse.

And he also knew that if he didn't get off the phone with her soon, House might not wait for him.

"Listen, this weekend, a few of us are going to Mohegan Sun for Wilson's birthday," Chase told her.

"Do you want to come with?" he asked her.

"When you say 'a few of us,' I'm assuming you mean House, Cuddy, you, Sophie and Wilson," Cameron said.

"… And… Wilson's new girlfriend," Chase mumbled.

"So I'd be a seventh wheel?" Cameron joked half- heartedly.

"…Maybe Kutner wants to come, too," Chase said to her with a grin. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time, Cuddy was sitting in her bed, leaning back against the headboard and pillows, applying lotion to her legs.

She was wearing a deep burgundy silk teddy with thin straps and a pair of matching burgundy thong panties.

House, who was lying next to her, propped up on his elbow, was intently watching her every move, calculating in his head how much time he had left before he had to meet Chase at the hospital.

"That outfit should come with a warning label," House said huskily.

Cuddy grinned as she began to apply the lotion to her elbows.

"See something you like?" she asked him.

"You wore that on purpose," House stated.

"… I wore it because it's pajamas, and we're going to sleep," she said.

"No, you wore it because you know that tonight's the night I'm scheduled to rock your world," House said, his eyes lingering on her shapely, toned legs.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Cuddy said casually.

"I'm waiting for you to put the stupid lotion down," House told her.

Cuddy tossed the tube of lotion she had been using on her skin onto the floor.

"How's that?" she asked him coyly.

"Much better," he told her with a nod.

She wound her arms around House's neck as he pulled her closer to him, his mouth already taking possession of her neck.

Cuddy pressed her body against his, feeling his rock hard erection through his plaid lounge pants.

She then slipped her hands underneath his t- shirt, smoothing her hands over House's skin, loving the feel of his toned biceps, chest and stomach against her palm.

House found the hem of Cuddy's silk teddy and caressed her waist, slowly moving his hand up to her breast. He toyed with her nipple, making her gasp.

He then pulled her teddy up over her head, tossing it somewhere on the bed. As he lowered his mouth onto her breast, he gently grabbed her wrists and placed them above her head.

Cuddy could feel her excitement growing at the feeling of House's strong hands around her tiny wrists. His mouth lingered on her breast, teasing her nipple mercilessly with his tongue.

House then took his mouth off her nipple and kissed her deeply. Cuddy found her way down to his lounge pants. She pushed the pants past his hips. House wasted no time pulling off his boxers down with them.

He pressed his erection against her panty- clad core.

"Are you wet for me, baby?" House asked her in a low, husky voice against her ear.

"Yes…" Cuddy said breathlessly, feeling incredible tingling and contracting sensations between her legs.

"I don't think you're wet enough," House murmured.

He then slipped his hand beneath her panties and teased her nub with the tip of his index finger.

"Oh god!!" Cuddy gasped.

House continued to make small circles against her sensitive spot. She thrust her hips closer to him as he did so.

He watched her face intently, his cock becoming harder as she became more aroused.

"Greg… please…" Cuddy begged.

House took his hand out of her panties, causing her to whimper in protest. He then slowly peeled her burgundy thong panties off her hips, past her thighs, legs and feet. He then nudged her legs apart and entered her with a deep thrust, making Cuddy squeal in pleasure.

House hooked his hand underneath her thigh and picked her leg up against his chest, the position allowing him to penetrate deeper. Cuddy moaned with him at every thrust, feeling the pressure build up inside her wet core.

House could feel her folds contract against his cock. He sped up his thrusting slightly, pushing into her deeper.

"More … " Cuddy demanded.

Knowing that he had to make sure that Cuddy fell into a deep post coital sleep, he pulled out of her and flipped her over so she was on all fours.

Before she could protest, House grabbed her hips and began pounding into her from behind.

Cuddy thrust her head back, her mouth agape, gasping for breath. Seeing Cuddy in this position was so overwhelming that he suddenly felt intense pressure build up in his groin.

"Oh god!" House groaned at his release.

Cuddy's orgasm quickly followed as she felt him cum inside her.

As their orgasms began to subside, they collapsed next to each other on the bed. House gathered Cuddy into his arms as she faced away from him.

She closed her eyes and smiled as House gazed down at her.

"Tired?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

Cuddy smiled.

"Mmm hmm," she replied.

Two minutes later, Cuddy was fast asleep on the bed above the blanket.

Twenty minutes later, House was fully dressed and out the door, headed to the hospital.

TBC...


	34. Chapter 32

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS!! I RESPONDED TO ALL OF THEM INDIVIDUALLY.**

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**CHAPTER 32: Please read and comment.**

That night, Chase limped with his rosewood cane as softly as he could down the dimly lit hallway of Radiology towards the MRI room.

Usually at around this time of night, Radiology was empty.

But Chase didn't want to take any chances by making too much noise and arousing the suspicions of anyone who might be working late or hanging around.

When he opened the door to the MRI room, he saw House lying flat on his back on the table of the MRI machine in the darkness, his cane lying on the table next to him.

Underneath House's head was a hospital gown that was acting as a pillow.

And he was snoring very loudly.

Chase rolled his eyes in exasperation, limped closer to him and nudged House awake by poking him with his own cane in House's ribs.

House awoke with a jerk and immediately sat up straight, an unintelligible noise escaping his lips.

House's head missed the top of the machine by inches. Chase winced at his near miss.

"Your lucky your head wasn't in the machine," Chase told him, jutting his chin towards the top of the machine.

House blinked his eyes in an effort to focus on the person standing in front of him. Once he realized it was Chase, he rubbed his face with his hand in an effort to wake up.

"You're late," House grumbled, reaching behind him for the light blue hospital gown he had been using as a pillow.

"How would you know? You were asleep," Chase told him with a grimace.

"I'm assuming you're late," House replied, tossing the hospital gown at him.

Chase glanced at the analog clock on the wall, indicating that it was ten minutes after midnight, and that he was indeed late.

"Let's just get this over with," Chase said with a sigh, giving House his cane.

House hopped off the table and turned his back on Chase.

Chase quickly took off his sweatpants, t- shirt and boxers, and tossed them on the floor.

He then put on the hospital gown, tying the top tie in the back.

"Make sure you take off that pinky ring you wear," House said once he turned around to face Chase.

"I haven't worn that ring in four years," Chase told him with a grimace as he tied the bottom tie of his gown.

"Then take out your belly button ring or any other metal you have on," House said.

"I don't have—" Chase began.

"Yeah, yeah. Just get on the table already," House said impatiently.

Chase snorted in disgust and climbed up onto the table, his feet facing the direction of the tunnel of the machine.

"Please keep your hands and arms inside the cabin. Por favor, mantener las manos y los brazos en el interior del vehículo," House said in a low voice, doing his best imitation of a bilingual recording on an attraction at a theme park.

"You're in a good mood," Chase commented with a slight smirk.

"That's because I just had _INCREDIBLY HOT SEX_ with your boss," House told him.

"No wonder why you were out cold when I came in," Chase said.

"You should see the coma I put _HER_ in," House boasted.

"I've seen it," Chase retorted, his smirk broadening.

House shot him a dirty look as he hit the button to control the table, sliding the lower half of Chase's body into the machine.

As Chase basked in the glow of his snark, House limped into the ante- room of the MRI and sat down on a chair in front of one of the computers to watch the monitor.

_"Nice one, Chase,"_ House admitted aloud to himself in the ante- room. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

After forty- five minutes, Chase was still in the MRI.

House hadn't given him a set of headphones, and the rhythmic banging of the machine was beginning to give him a headache.

"House?" Chase called out, closing his eyes. "Are we done yet?"

Chase expected House to tell him to shut the he11 up and that he wasn't supposed to talk during an MRI.

But House didn't answer him.

"House, what's going on?" Chase called out a little louder.

Again, there was no answer.

Chase then opened his eyes and turned his head to try to peek into the ante- room.

But from his vantage point, lying on his back on the table, he couldn't see anything.

Chase exhaled in disgust.

"Screw this," he said aloud.

Chase then somehow managed to crawl out of the MRI, swung his legs back onto the floor and limped as gingerly as he could towards the ante- room. The Vicodin he had taken hours ago was beginning to wear off, and he had given his cane to House.

Every step was bordering on agony.

When he finally made it to the ante- room, he found House asleep on the chair, his head lolled back and his mouth wide open, snoring once again.

"And Cuddy complained about MY snoring?" Chase mumbled to himself as he watched him sleep.

"_HOUSE!_" Chase yelled

"What?!" House exclaimed, jerking awake once again, almost falling off the chair.

"You fell asleep again," Chase said with irritation.

"You try the position on page 68 of the Kama Sutra at my age and see how long _YOU_ stay awake," House muttered as he faced the computer monitor.

"So what's wrong with my ankle?" Chase demanded, not even bothering to acknowledge House's remark.

House blinked his eyes and focused on the images of Chase's ankle on the screen for a few moments.

"Nothing," House declared simply.

"House, it's too late to be funny," Chase complained, trying to block out the throbbing of his ankle.

"Take a look," House said, rolling the chair back slightly away from the computer.

Chase moved closer to the computer and scrolled through all the images that House took of his left ankle.

His mouth opened slightly in shock when he saw that there was nothing on the image explaining his pain.

"That's… _impossible_. I'm in constant pain. There HAS to be something wrong," Chase argued, shaking his head in complete disbelief.

"Not according to the MRI," House stated.

Chase turned his head towards House, noting that his expression was completely calm.

Chase shook his head again, pressing his tongue against the inside of his mouth, laughing curtly in disgust.

"You think it's all in my head, don't you?" Chase accused.

"No, I don't," House said, his eyes still on the monitor in front of him.

Chase tilted his head slightly, arching his eyebrow, waiting for House's explanation.

"I'm saying that whatever IS wrong with your ankle isn't showing up on the scan," House said.

"So... what then? An invisible tumor? Too bad Cameron and Foreman aren't here. It'd be just like old times," Chase said sarcastically.

House didn't respond to Chase's remark.

He just continued to stare at the digital image of Chase's ankle on the monitor, as if the answer would suddenly appear.  

"So what do we do now?" Chase asked him.

House then got up out of his chair.

"I'm going to try to sneak back into bed with Cuddy without waking her up. YOU can do whatever you want, except for that," House told him as he turned to leave the room.

"I mean about my ankle," Chase clarified.

House stopped at the door and slowly turned back to Chase.

"How many pills do you have left?" House asked him.

"Twelve," Chase replied.

"…Try to make those last as long as possible until I can figure this out," House said after a contemplative pause before heading for the door again.

"House," Chase said.

"Are you really doing all this just to solve the puzzle of my pain?" Chase asked him in a soft voice.

"…Go home," House told him before leaving Chase in the room by himself. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

**THURSDAY MORNING…**

The next day, at around ten AM, Wilson opened the door to House's private office, his head in a patient's file.

"Got a case," Wilson said, looking up from the file. "Forty- two year old female—"

But he stopped in mid sentence when he realized that House wasn't in the room.

He looked through the glass partition into House's conference room, which was empty as well.

Wilson then shrugged his shoulders and walked over to House's desk. He picked up House's red and grey ball and began to bobble it in his hands.

And then he noticed the name on the large envelope from Radiology on House's desk:

_**'LUKE N. LAURA.'**_

Wilson placed the ball back on House's desk and opened up the envelope, taking out the films from Radiology that were inside it.

As he put them in the light box that was mounted on the wall of House's office and flicked the switch, he saw the images of a left ankle.

Just then, House came back into his office.

He stopped dead when he saw Wilson looking at Chase's films in the light box.

"What the hell are you doing in my office?!" House demanded.

"I'm surprised you'd be this careless," Wilson said, calmly.

House glanced down at the floor and then strode up to Wilson at the light box. He promptly removed the films and shoved them back into the envelope on his desk, avoiding Wilson's accusing stare.

"You do realize that there's a time and date stamp on those films, right?" Wilson asked him pedantically.

House didn't answer him.

"Which means if Cuddy finds them, she's gonna know that someone was using the MRI at around midnight last night to examine 'Luke N. Laura's' left ankle," Wilson continued.

"Don't you have cancer patients to comfort?" House muttered.

"And 'Luke N. Laura' was the same exact name you used when you faked brain cancer two years ago," Wilson reminded him.

"So I'm a sucker for true love. Sue me," House said.

"And as far as I can see, there's nothing on the scan that would indicate why _'Luke'_ was having pain," Wilson said, emphasizing the name 'Luke' sarcastically.

"Just because it's not on the scan doesn't mean there's not an explanation for Chase's pain—" House began.

"_THE PAIN'S IN HIS HEAD, HOUSE_!!" Wilson yelled at him.

House inhaled slightly, his eyes meeting Wilson's angry stare.

But House said nothing.

Because he had nothing to say.

There was nothing on the scan, so he had no medical reason for Chase's pain.

And Wilson knew it.

"And if you keep writing him scripts, you're not helping him. You're only making it WORSE," Wilson told him forcefully.

Silently, House turned away from him and looked out the window, twirling his cane absentmindedly.

Seeing that House wasn't going to engage him in an argument, Wilson turned around and left House office.

Wilson turned around once more and watched House through the glass door for a brief moment, and then walked away.

A few moments later, once he was back in his office, he picked up the phone and dialed a number by memory.

"Hi, Sophie. It's Jimmy," Wilson said to his sister on the other end.

"Hey big bro," Sophie said. "What's up?"

Wilson took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"…I need to talk to you..." Wilson began carefully.

TBC...


	35. Chapter 33

**HI EVERYONE!**

**SORRY I TOOK SO LONG, BUT HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!!**

**I PROMISE TO RESPOND TO ALL YOUR COMMENTS VERY SOON! THANKS SO MUCH!!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS CHAPTER AND ENJOY!! :-) **

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**CHAPTER 33: Please read and comment.**

"Hi, Sophie. It's Jimmy," Wilson said to his sister on the other end.

"Hey big bro," Sophie said. "What's up?"

Wilson took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"…I need to talk to you..." Wilson began carefully.

"Is everything all right?" Sophie asked, starting to become concerned.

"Has… Chase spoken to you about his ankle lately?" Wilson asked her tentatively.

"You mean about the fact that he's not using the cane anymore? I told him not to rush it—" Sophie began.

"Did he tell you why he's not using his cane?" Wilson interrupted.

Sophie paused for a moment, slightly confused.

"…He said he was feeling better," Sophie told him.

Wilson exhaled audibly. Seated at his desk in his office, he rubbed the back of his neck in aggravation, wondering exactly how he was going to tell his sister that her boyfriend was a Vicodin addict and was keeping it from her.

"Jimmy, what's going on?" Sophie asked him, nervously.

But before Wilson could answer her, House suddenly barged into Wilson's office, causing Wilson to jump out of his seat, completely startled.

Without saying a word, and at a surprisingly fast pace, House went right over to the phone jack and ripped Wilson's office phone right out of the wall.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Wilson demanded in utter shock. "I was on the phone with Sophie!"

"Which is why I hung up," House replied, as if that explained everything.

"You didn't hang up! You ripped the phone out of my wall!" Wilson exclaimed.

"This way, when she tries to call you back on your office number, it'll probably take her a few minutes before she realizes to call you on your cell so I can convince you to keep your MOUTH shut!" House shot back.

"She needs to know what Chase is doing to himself," Wilson stated firmly.

"You have NO RIGHT to tell her anything," House said angrily.

"She's my SISTER!" Wilson argued.

"And he's my patient," House replied firmly, trying not to lose control.

"Oh please! You don't give a CRAP about Chase! You just want—" Wilson spat out in disgust.

And at that moment, Wilson stopped in mid sentence, his mouth opening slightly.

Because during Wilson's short, angry tirade, House darted his eyes away from Wilson's piercing, irate stare.

"… Wait a minute," Wilson began.

"You… _CARE_ _about Chase_?" Wilson asked.

House snorted and rolled his eyes.

"The very THOUGHT of that is making me almost too nauseous to steal that muffin off your desk," he scoffed.

House then promptly took the apple cinnamon muffin off of Wilson's desk that he had bought in the cafeteria that morning and took a bite out of it.

"Almost," House added perfunctorily, his mouth full of the muffin.

But Wilson was too stunned to care.

"You're not making sure that you'll always have a surgeon in your hip pocket. You're… PROTECTING him," Wilson stated in epiphany.

"You got any milk?" House asked, in a lame attempt to deflect as he chewed.

"You did the MRI in the middle of the night so Cuddy wouldn't find out… you told him to fill the script out the hospital…" Wilson continued.

"And now… you're not letting me tell Sophie about his addiction because you respecting his confidentiality?!" Wilson uttered in disbelief.

"I'm not letting you tell Sophie because she'll be so devastated that he hid this from her that she'll dump his sorry a$$ and then he'll be too miserable to be of any use to me," House explained pedantically.

"And how is he of any use to you if he's too high to operate?" Wilson asked.

"HE'S NOT HIGH!!" House yelled suddenly, causing Wilson to flinch at his outburst.

"The pills help him function! They help him do his job! They make it possible for him to get out of bed everyday and live his life and be happy with your sister, you idiot!" House declared, gesticulating his arms as he spoke.

"…You're actually concerned about the quality of his life," Wilson said.

And then, suddenly it dawned on him.

"What's going on with your leg?" Wilson asked him softly.

House exhaled and pursed his lips together, looking down at the ground, leaning heavily on his cane, not replying.

"I thought you were feeling less pain," Wilson said.

"Yeah. So did I," House said, matter-of-factly.

Just then, Wilson's cell phone rang in his pocket. Wilson took it out and glanced at the caller ID.

"That's Sophie," Wilson stated.

"Are you gonna tell her?" House asked him.

Wilson locked eyes with House, letting the phone ring once more.

He then opened it.

"Hey, So," Wilson said apologetically.

"What happened? I've been trying to call you back for the last five minutes!" Sophie asked.

Wilson closed his eyes. "…Yeah… I've been having problems with my office phone all day," he lied, avoiding House's stare.

"What did you have to tell me about Robbie?" Sophie asked, the anxiety rising in her voice.

Wilson opened his eyes. House was still staring at him.

"…Just… that he should really still be using the cane. Especially if he's standing in the OR all day. I tried to talk to him about it, but he shrugged me off," Wilson lied again, his shoulders slumping.

Sophie sighed in great relief.

"I'll talk to him," she said with a slight chuckle. "You really worried me," she added.

"I'm sorry," Wilson said.

"That was really sweet of you to try to talk to him about it," Sophie said.

Wilson smiled half- heartedly on the other end, saying nothing as the guilt churned inside him.

"So are you excited for this weekend?" Sophie asked him brightly.

"Yeah, I'm really excited for you to take all my money off me at the tables," Wilson drawled sarcastically.

"It's your birthday. I'll go easy on you," Sophie told him.

Wilson chuckled. "I'll see you Saturday," he told her.

"Ok. Bye," Sophie replied, hanging up.

Wilson hung up as well, and stared at House, who was smiling the tiniest smile.

"I'm going to hell," Wilson muttered, putting his head in his hands.

"I'll save you a seat," House replied before leaving Wilson's office.

As House closed the door behind him, a melancholy smile appeared on Wilson's face.

Because while he was sad that House's pain had increased, he was at least happy that House had finally found someone who had some idea of what he was going through.

-------------------------------------------- 

**FRIDAY NIGHT...**

The next evening, a little after 9 pm, Sophie was in one of the locker rooms at Boston University Teaching Hospital, taking her backpack full of textbooks and coat out of her locker.

She had been at the hospital since six that morning, busy with classes, rounds and studying.

And she was exhausted.

She slipped on her coat, closed her locker shut, slung her cumbersome backpack over her right shoulder, and left the locker room, thinking about how she couldn't wait to just relax in a warm, decadent bubble bath and put off packing for her trip to Mohegan Sun until the morning.

And then she stopped in mid stride, her breath catching in her throat.

Because Chase was leaning against the opposite wall just outside the locker room, wearing a pair of dark jeans, a graphic t- shirt, his leather jacket and an incredibly beautiful smile on his face. His eyes were sparkling as he gazed at her.

"…Hi!" Sophie managed to say.

"Hey beautiful," Chase said softly, pushing himself off the wall and walking towards her.

Sophie felt a wonderfully warm sensation swim through her. By now, they had been together for over four months, but he still gave her butterflies in her stomach every time she saw him.

"What are you doing here? I thought we were meeting at the casino tomorrow," Sophie reminded him.

Chase shrugged, took her backpack off her shoulder, slipped it over his own and pulled her closer to him.

"I changed my mind," he said simply.

Sophie bit her lower lip and smiled.

"I'm glad," she told him.

Chase traced her entire face with his eyes, amazed at how pretty she looked after what he knew was a long day at the hospital. A few locks of hair had fallen out of her loose ponytail, framing her face, and she was only wearing a bit of eye makeup.

He engulfed her lips in a long, lingering kiss. He could feel the tension leave her body from the day as he kissed her.

He then pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

"Can I take you home?" he asked her softly.

Sophie nodded, her eyes closing as well, the butterflies still flitting around in her stomach. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Around twenty minutes later, Chase and Sophie had returned to her apartment.

As soon as they got through the front door, Chase had pulled her over to her couch, took her coat off of her and positioned her onto his lap so she was straddling him, her toned, shapely legs on either side of him.

Sophie lolled her head back, closing her eyes happily as he explored her neck with his lips and tongue languidly, holding her close to him.

"God, I missed you," Chase murmured into her neck as his hands slipped underneath the heather grey long- sleeved t- shirt she was wearing. He gently fondled her breast over her bra, making her gasp softly at his touch.

"You like that?" Chase asked huskily against her skin, thickening his accent slightly, knowing she absolutely loved it when he did that.

"Yes," Sophie whispered back, feeling a delightful tingle between her legs at the sound of his voice.

He then pulled her long- sleeved t- shirt up over her head, revealing her plain, pale- pink cotton bra.

Now, only clad in her bra and jeans, Sophie pulled her body shyly away from Chase, surprising him. He gazed into her eyes.

"What?" Chase asked her, not understanding her sudden shyness.

"I…didn't know you were coming," she replied, almost apologetically. "If I did, I would have worn something nicer for you."

"You don't have to dress up for me," Chase told her tenderly, shaking his head slightly.

"I like to," she said, barely above a whisper, shrugging her shoulder.

Chase felt a surge of arousal in his cock at her demureness.

He then slipped his fingertips underneath her left bra strap, pulling it down just enough to expose the top curve of her breast and her rose- pink nipple.

He lowered his head down and brushed his soft, full lips against her nipple, the tip of his tongue caressing it delicately, causing her to gasp once more.

"But I know you like cotton," Chase said, his lips lightly touching her breast.

His simple answer made her heart do flip- flops.

As Chase continued his lovely ministrations, she moaned softly, threading her fingers through his hair, encouraging him on, smiling lovingly at him.

"I have a surprise for you, too," she breathed.

Chase looked up at her with curiosity, placing his hands on her hips. She pulled her bra back over her breast, leaned over and grabbed her backpack off the couch.

"I was gonna wait until tomorrow to show this to you…" she began as she opened her backpack.

"But since you gave me such a nice surprise…" she continued, pulling out a letter- sized manila envelope out of her bag and handed it to him.

Chase arched his eyebrow, took the envelope from her and opened it.

As he opened it, Chase's mouth gaped open in complete surprise as he saw what was inside it:

**"S****TUDENT TRANSFER APPLICATION FORM**

**PRINCETON PLAINSBORO TEACHING HOSPITAL MEDICAL SCHOOL"**

Sophie grinned broadly as Chase's entire face erupted into the happiest smile she had ever seen on him. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he continued to stare at the transfer application in front of him.

"I'm going to finish this semester here. And the admissions counselor said I can redo my peds rounds this summer at PPTH so I don't have to wait for the following fall," Sophie explained as she caressed the scruff on his cheek.

Chase took his eyes off the application and stared at her.

"You have to redo your rounds?" Chase asked her in surprise.

"Princeton wouldn't accept the credit," Sophie said off- handedly. "But that's ok. I don't mind," she added.

"Are you sure?" Chase asked, touching her face.

"I'm positive," Sophie replied, nodding firmly.

Chase's heart swelled with love as he tossed the application onto the couch next to them and captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

"Let me take you to bed," Chase said against her lips.

"Actually… I was planning on taking a bath before I knew you were coming," Sophie said sexily.

Chase, knowing that he had taken his last two Vicodin about twenty minutes before he had arrived at Boston University hospital, calculated that he had almost six more hours before he had to take two more.

Once he realized that, he immediately pushed her off his lap, stood up off the couch, and scooped her up into his arms. Sophie shrieked in surprise and delight.

"Works for me," Chase said with a grin before carrying her to her bathroom.

TBC…


	36. Chapter 34

**HI EVERYONE!**

**SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE. RL HAS BEEN VERY HECTIC.**

**BUT I RESPONDED TO ALL OF YOUR WONDERFUL COMMENTS!**

**AND HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

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**CHAPTER 34: Please read and comment.**

Ten minutes after Chase had carried Sophie off to her bathroom, they were both naked, and happily submerged in Sophie's bathtub.

The rose- oil and chamomile bubble bath that Sophie had added to the water covered their bodies decadently as the steam rose around them.

Chase's back was against the side of the tub without faucets, while Sophie was lying back on his chest and between his legs, a lazy smile on both their faces.

"This is _exactly_ what I needed," Sophie murmured, her eyes closed, as her head rested against Chase's chest.

Chase kissed her temple. Her hair was swept off her face and neck loosely with one of the red rubber bands she always kept lying around.

"Well, I figured. You've been on your feet since six this morning," Chase said softly, his lips still against her temple as he nuzzled against her skin.

"I should be doing this for you," Sophie said, stroking the outside of his thigh underneath the bubbles.

"Well if you're offering…" Chase said playfully.

"I wasn't," Sophie said teasingly.

Chase chuckled and tenderly cupped her right breast, brushing his thumb over her nipple. Her breath caught as he did so. She turned towards him, kissed his soft, full lips, and brushed his now damp hair off his forehead.

She then turned back around and nestled back against his body once more, incredibly content.

"Why should you be doing this for me?" Chase asked her, holding her closer.

"Well, my feet hurt, but my _LEG_ is fine," Sophie replied pointedly.

Chase grimaced. "So is mine," he told her dismissively.

At that, Sophie chuckled slightly.

"Jimmy said you were being stubborn," Sophie said.

Chase's body stiffened underneath the bubbles at Sophie's comment.

"…What are you talking about?" Chase asked as casually as he could, trying not to let on that her remark had made him nervous.

"He said that you won't use your cane at work," Sophie replied as she caressed his leg.

Chase furrowed his brow and pursed his lips as his mind raced back to the last two days.

He had only seen Wilson in passing a few times, and they had barely said two words to each other.

_'DOES WILSON KNOW THAT I'M BACK ON THE PILLS?'_ Chase thought to himself.

"He told you that?" Chase asked her, his voice still as casual as he could make it.

"Mmm hmm," Sophie said, still stroking his leg, enjoying the water and being with Chase too much to notice the anxiety that began to creep into his voice.

Chase inhaled slightly, his arms still around her.

He dreaded telling her the truth. No doubt, she'd be furious at him for relapsing on his rehab.

But he knew that he wouldn't be able to keep his Vicodin use a secret from her that much longer.

"Sophie…" he began tentatively.

"Honey, I don't want to nag you, but you're standing in the OR all day. Cuddy's not gonna give you a medal for giving up the cane. You shouldn't push yourself if you're not ready," she interrupted him gently.

Chase could tell from her advice that Wilson hadn't told her anything.

Chase shrugged. "…That's… true..." he agreed.

"How's the pain been? You haven't really been talking about it the last few days," she mentioned.

"The pain…" Chase began.

Sophie shifted her position in the tub and looked up at him for his answer. Her deep brown eyes were full of adoration and care for him.

And for some reason, the look in her eyes just couldn't allow him to tell her the truth.

"…The pain really isn't an issue anymore," he merely told her.

Sophie smiled warmly at him and brushed her lips against his before nestling back down against his body in the tub.

"I'm glad," she replied sincerely.

He tightened his embrace around her, squelching the horrible sense of guilt he felt inside him at lying to her.

"So are you excited for this weekend?" Sophie asked him.

Chase breathed a tiny sigh of relief, grateful that she had changed the subject.

"That depends. Are you gonna give me some poker tips so I don't get cleaned out at the tables?" he asked her.

Sophie turned her bottom lip out and shrugged. "Depends," she replied coyly.

"On what?" Chase asked.

Sophie turned her body around in the tub and faced him. She scooted closer to him, placing her legs over his thighs and winding them around his back in the water.

"On what you're willing to do for them," Sophie said with a sexy grin.

"I've got a few ideas," Chase said as he grabbed her ass and pulled her closer against him, his erection pressing against her.

"I bet you do," she said winding his arms around her neck.

She moved in closer to kiss him, but he backed up with a mischievous grin on his face.

"AFTER you tell me," Chase chided.

"You're mean," Sophie teased.

"Hey it's not just you at that table. It's House and your brother," Chase reminded her, unable to keep the grin off his face.

Sophie returned his grin with a sly smile of her own.

"You've got a tell," Sophie told him.

"No I don't!" Chase denied indignantly.

Sophie smirked and shot him a look of disbelief. Chase rolled his eyes and sighed.

"What is it?" Chase asked.

"You raise your eyebrows every time you've got something good in the hole," Sophie replied.

"I do _not!_" Chase denied again.  

"Ok, you don't," Sophie said with a dismissive shrug, fighting to keep from laughing in his face.

Chase knew that she was playing with him. And he loved it.

"What else?" Chase asked her.

_"Quid pro quo,"_ Sophie told him teasingly.

Chase's eyes gazed over her entire face, loving how her skin glistened and how flushed her cheeks had become from the hot water in the bath.

He then pulled her completely onto his lap, his erection pushing against her. He kissed her neck, trailing his lips and tongue towards her collarbone, making her shudder in delight.

"What else…" Chase murmured against her collarbone.

"You… hold you breath… when you bluff," Sophie managed to say, tilting her head back and closing her eyes.

Chase took his hand off her ass and moved to the inside of her thigh, slowly moving it closer to the space between her legs.

"Anything else?" Chase asked her sexily.

"Keep going… I'll let you know," Sophie told him, knowing that the moisture collecting between her legs wasn't from the bath.

As she whimpered when he dipped his fingers into her moist, inviting core, he knew that all thoughts of his leg had left her mind for the moment.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time, House and Cuddy were in Cuddy's bedroom.

Piles of jeans, tops and dresses were lying on her bed. House managed to find a sliver of space next to her stuff to stretch his legs as he rested his back against her pillow and headboard.

"We're only going away for one night," House told her as he scrolled through the channels on her bedroom TV.

"And two days," Cuddy reminded him.

House snorted. "Which of course warrants taking five pairs of identical dark skinny jeans," he snarked.

"I'm not taking all five pairs," Cuddy said.

"Good, because two of them make your ass look larger than it already is," House told her.

"Which REALLY means that two of them make my ass look even more _GORGEOUS_ than it already is, and you don't want Chase or Wilson or anyone else for that matter, staring at it all weekend," Cuddy retorted with a grin.

House smirked as he continued to change channels on the TV, sneaking a peek at her ass as she turned back to the closet to grab a few hangers.

"And I hope you packed more than one shirt with you," Cuddy added as she placed the hangers on the bed and picked three of the jeans out of the pile, neatly folding them into her suitcase.

"Didn't realize I was going away with my mother for the weekend," House retorted.

"I'll pack other shirts for you," Cuddy said, rolling her eyes.

House glanced down at the floor, where Cuddy had lined up five pairs of black stiletto heels.

"Instead of taking five pairs of identical shoes, you should remember to pack your Ferro- Sequels," House said.

"They're not identical," Cuddy argued. "The first pair has a peep toe—" she continued.

"Forget I mentioned it," House muttered.

"And I already packed my iron supplements," she assured him.

House nodded as he finally stopped changing the channel. As a trailer for the movie "Monsters vs. Aliens," came on, he furrowed his brow at the character of Dr. Cockroach Ph. D.

"Does this cockroach sound familiar to you?" House asked her.

"Nope," Cuddy replied as she looked through some of the dresses that she had laid out on the bed.

"Which dress do you like better?" Cuddy said, as she held up two black, short, slinky dresses, one with a halter top, and one with spaghetti straps.

House glanced in her direction, seeing no difference in the two dresses for the one second that he bothered to look.

"Does it matter? You're gonna take both of them anyway," House told her, turning back to the TV.

"That's because we're eating at _Tuscany_ tomorrow night, and I don't know what I want to wear yet," Cuddy said.

"Thong panties and a push up would be nice," House suggested.

"Are you suggesting that my girls need help?" Cuddy asked coyly.

"Yep," House replied.

Cuddy arched her eyebrow, genuinely surprised by his answer.

Without warning, House then tossed the remote on Cuddy's bed. He then grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her down on top of him, causing her to shriek in surprise.

"They do need help," House said, positioning her on his lap, allowing her to straddle him.

He then slipped his hands underneath her pink scooped neck t- shirt and cupped her breasts over her bra.

"_MY_ help," House clarified before he kissed her passionately. -

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Later on that night, at around 2 AM, House blinked his eyes open out of a sound sleep.

His hand immediately went to his right thigh, which was throbbing tremendously in pain.

The pain was so bad that it had woken him up.

He glanced over at Cuddy, who was still sleeping next to him on her left side, facing away from him.

He reached over to the night- stand on his side of the bed, fumbling for his Vicodin bottle. He sat up, quickly shook two pills into the palm of his hand and swallowed them dry.

He somehow managed to push himself out of the bed. His cane, which was resting on Cuddy's dresser, seemed a mile away.

With great effort, he finally reached the dresser. He grabbed his cane and left the bedroom as quietly as he could, ignoring the pain signals he had become all too familiar with over the years.

Just had he had done so many times before in his own apartment, he began to pace back and forth down Cuddy's hallway, silently counting the minutes before the Vicodin kicked in. 

----------------------------------------------------------------- 

That same night, a little after 2 AM, Chase blinked his eyes open out of a sound sleep.

His ankle was throbbing in tremendous pain.

He looked over at Sophie, who was fast asleep on her left side, facing away from him.

He somehow managed to push himself out of the bed.

His cane was back in Princeton.

And his Vicodin was still in the pocket of his leather jacket in Sophie's hall closet.

With great effort, he limped out of Sophie's bedroom to her foyer as quietly as he could, ignoring the pain signals he had become all too familiar with over the last few months.

Once he reached the hall closet, he shakily dug through his jacket pocket. He fished out the bottle of Vicodin that House had prescribed for him, shook out two pills into the palm of his hand and swallowed them dry.

He then limped over to the couch, propped his left leg up on Sophie's coffee table, silently counting the minutes before the Vicodin kicked in.

TBC…


	37. Chapter 35

**HI EVERYONE!**

**I AM SO SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO POST THIS NEXT CHAPTER. RL IS VERY VERY HECTIC.**

**BUT HERE IT IS!!!**

**AND THANK YOU FOR READING AND REVIEWING!!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

******************************************************************* **

**CHAPTER 35: Please read and comment.**

**SATURDAY MORNING. WILSON'S BIRTHDAY:**

That morning, at around 9 am, Cameron was in her apartment, packing her overnight suitcase for her trip to Mohegan Sun, deciding between two low cut red v- neck sweaters when her cell phone rang for the fifth time that morning.

She didn't even bother to look at the caller ID to know that Neil Stern was calling her again.

For a moment, she contemplated letting it go to voice mail, like she did the other four times. He had already left her a bunch of voice messages on her home and cell phones, but she didn't answer any of them.

As the phone continued to ring, she exhaled deeply as she took her cell phone off her night- stand.

'_I GUESS I CAN'T PUT THIS OFF MUCH LONGER_,' she thought to herself.

"Hi Neil," Cameron answered casually.

"_Hi?_! THAT'S what you say to me after leaving your resignation on my desk last night without saying anything to me?!" Stern demanded angrily on the other end.

Cameron sat down on her bed, bracing herself as she prepared to say what she had rehearsed in her mind over the last few days.

"What did you want me to say?" Cameron asked coolly, crossing one leg over the other from her position on her bed.

"How about explaining why you're _QUTTING_? I've been trying to call you all night!" Neil exclaimed.

Cameron took a well- timed pause before continuing.

"I just don't think this job is right for me anymore," Cameron replied vaguely.

"Since when?" Neil asked in irritation.

"Since this week," Cameron replied, keeping the cool, vague tone in her voice.

Neil audibly sighed in exasperation.

"Does this have something to do with us?" he asked.

Cameron didn't answer him. Part of her just couldn't bring herself to tell him that she had found out that he was married and that she had met his wife.

But she wasn't sure if it was because she didn't want to hurt him, or if because she was just too chicken to say it to him out loud…

Or if it was because she didn't want to feel the humiliation all over again.

"Look. Why don't we talk about it over drinks and dinner tonight?" Stern offered.

Upon hearing his question, she snapped out of her temporary reverie. She got off her bed and continued packing her suitcase.

"I can't. I'm packing," Cameron replied.

"For what?" Stern asked her.

"I'm going away for the weekend," Cameron said as she packed one of the two red v- neck sweaters.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"Mohegan Sun. A friend of mine from Princeton is celebrating his birthday," Cameron replied.

"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Stern asked her in an interrogational tone.

"I didn't realize we were at the point where we told each other everything," Cameron replied flippantly, hoping that he would get her not so subtle hint that she knew that he had been keeping his marriage from her.

But his next sentence proved to her that he hadn't.

"All right. It's obvious that you're in a bad mood. Maybe a weekend away is exactly what you need to mellow out," Stern said in annoyance.

Cameron could feel her anger threatening to seethe through the surface.

But she refused to give him the satisfaction of losing her cool.

"When you get back, we should really decide when we're using those tickets to Puerto Rico that we won at the Fundraiser," Stern added.

Upon hearing this, something inside Cameron snapped. Her heart began to hammer in her chest, and she knew that she couldn't take it anymore.

"Why don't you take your _WIFE_, instead? She looks like she could use some sun," Cameron shot back curtly.

On the other end, Stern was completely silent for a few minutes.

"… I…." he finally stammered.

"Good- bye, Neil," Cameron said firmly before closing her phone.

Her hands shook as she shoved her cell back into her pocket. She could hear her heart beating in her ears.

And then suddenly, a strange calm overtook her.

And she smiled. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Around an hour later, Chase and Sophie were driving down I- 90 West to Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort in Chase's car.

Despite the fact that Chase was feeling a little tired from waking up in the middle of the night with pain in his ankle, he was driving. He took a sip from his very large coffee as he glanced at Sophie in the passenger seat, who was absentmindedly looking through the window.

Chase noticed that she had been unusually quiet since they had gotten on the road.

But he had been too focused on the pain in his ankle and exactly how he was going to sneak his Vicodin without Sophie finding out about it that weekend to ask her why she was so quiet.

But as she continued to stare out the window in silence, he started to become concerned.

"You're quiet," Chase said lightly.

"…Got a lot on my mind," Sophie said softly.

Upon hearing the contemplative tone in her voice, Chase started to panic.

He had been virtually silent when he had crawled out of their bed at 2AM to take his pills.

Unless she had been pretending to be asleep, she couldn't have possibly known about it.

"… Anything you wanna talk about?" Chase asked.

"I shouldn't be going away this weekend," Sophie stated.

"Why not?" Chase asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"I'm swamped with work," Sophie said with an exasperated sigh. "I have to present a case that I've been researching to my Chief Resident next week, and I'm still working on it."

Chase relaxed considerably when he realized that she had no idea about his Vicodin usage.

But as he looked over at her again, he could see how tensed up she was. Smiling sympathetically, he reached over and began to caress her thigh over her jeans.

"What's the case? Maybe I can help you with it," Chase offered.

"You really can't. I left all my notes in my apartment," Sophie muttered.

Chase nodded and kept his hand on her thigh as he continued to drive.

"I'm just stressed," Sophie added with a shrug.

"You know, they have a full service spa at the hotel. Maybe you want to take advantage of it once we get there," Chase suggested.

"That would be great, but they always charge so much money—" Sophie began.

"So I'll pay for it," Chase interrupted her.

Sophie tsked. "Honey, I couldn't ask you to do that," she said.

"You're not. I'm offering. Besides, I didn't get you a Valentine's Day present…" Chase said, trailing off with a sheepish smile.

Sophie chuckled half- heartedly.

"You really wouldn't mind?" she asked him.

Chase moved his hand from her thigh to take her left hand in his. He laced his fingers through hers.

"Why would I mind? It's your vacation, too," Chase said.

Sophie squeezed his hand in hers and smiled back. Chase then brought his hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand gently.

"Enjoy yourself, baby," Chase told her.

Sophie brought their hands back to her lips and kissed the back of Chase's hand, and then rested their hands back on her leg.

"Maybe Debbie and Lisa want to join me," Sophie thought aloud.

"Don't forget Cameron," Chase added.

Sophie turned towards Chase with an arched eyebrow.

"You invited Allison?" she asked him in surprise.

"Oh that's right. I forgot to tell you," Chase said.

"Yeah, kind of," Sophie said with a slight laugh.

"…She found out a few days ago from the PI that Neil's been lying to her. He's still married," Chase explained regretfully.

"Eek," Sophie said, wincing.

"She actually went to his apartment and told his wife about the affair," Chase continued.

"What did the wife say?!" Sophie asked with extreme interest.

"That Cameron wasn't the first mistress he ever had… and… that she wasn't the second either," Chase replied.

Sophie's eyes widened tremendously. "…Wow…" she managed to say.

"Apparently, the wife is staying married to him for the money and doesn't care how many women he has on the side," Chase told her.

"So what's Allison gonna do now?" Sophie asked.

"I have no idea, but I told her to dump him," Chase said.

At this Sophie, narrowed her eyebrows slightly.

"Really," Sophie stated.

Chase glanced at her as he drove, surprised by her response.

"You think she should STAY with him?" Chase asked in disbelief.

"It's really none of my business what she should do," Sophie replied.

"You seemed very interested when she took us out for breakfast that morning and you told her that she should either confront him, or break up with him," Chase pointed out.

"That was different," Sophie argued.

"How is it different?" Chase demanded lightly.

Sophie sighed in exasperation. "How many friends does she have in Manahttan?" Sophie asked.

Chase shrugged. "I'm not sure, actually," he admitted.

"Is her family nearby?" Sophie asked.

"… No, they live in Chicago," Chase replied, still not understanding where she was going with this.

"Do you really think that Cameron would rather be alone in a brand new city?" Sophie asked him.

"The guy is married! She's his _MISTRESS_!" Chase exclaimed. "The only right thing for her to do is to break it off with him," he added firmly.

"And sometimes, _doing the right thing isn't always that simple_," Sophie pointed out.

At this, Chase suddenly felt his entire body tighten up.

He couldn't believe how ironic her statement was.

Because she just verbalized what he had been feeling about confessing to her about his Vicodin use.

Sophie placed her hand on his leg.

"Robbie, you're being a good friend by giving her advice," Sophie began.

"But in the end, SHE'S the one who has to live with the decision she makes for herself," Sophie said.

Chase, still focused on the road, nodded in agreement.

'_I'LL TELL HER ABOUT THE PILLS TONIGHT_,' Chase decided. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Almost an hour later, Chase and Sophie walked through the lobby of Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort with their bags.

They immediately spotted Wilson, Debbie and Cuddy waiting for them. Wilson waved them over enthusiastically.

"Hey, you made it!" Wilson said, kissing his sister on the cheek.

"Happy Birthday!" Sophie said to him, giving him a hug.

"Where's House?" Chase asked, as he shook Wilson's hand.

"He's up in the room," Cuddy explained. "He didn't sleep well last night."

Chase nodded, wondering if House had been woken up by pain just as he had, but he didn't say anything.

"Did you guys check in yet?" Debbie asked.

"Nope, we just got here," Sophie replied.

As the five of them continued to chat in the lobby, they didn't see a tall figure with dark hair swept off his forehead, green eyes, wearing dark blue jeans, an old graphic t- shirt, and an extremely worn in leather jacket staring at them from a good distance away.

He was chewing on a toothpick, and his lips morphed into a grin.

"_HEY SOPHIE_," Joey Smythe said to himself as he played with the toothpick in his mouth and gazed at Sophie from afar.

TBC…


	38. Chapter 36

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS! I RESPONDED TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY.**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

******************************************************************* **

**CHAPTER 36: Please read and comment.**

As Cuddy, Wilson, Debbie, Chase and Sophie were still in the lobby of Mohegan Sun, Chase took the handle of Sophie's rolling overnight bag gently out of her hand.

"I'll check in for us so you can go right to the spa," Chase told her.

Sophie smiled gratefully at Chase and kissed him softly on the lips, caressing his cheek with her palm.

"Thank you so much, honey," Sophie said.

"You're welcome. Now go relax," Chase told her with a nod of his chin, squeezing her hand.

Sophie kissed him once more before telling the rest of the group that she would meet them back in the casino later.

Joey was still a good distance away, carefully watching all of them.

He followed Sophie with his eyes as she walked away from the group.

Once Sophie was out of sight, Joey focused his attention back on the rest of the group.

"Sophie doesn't want to play Roulette with us?" Debbie asked Wilson and Chase.

"Sophie only plays Hold 'Em," Wilson explained. "She considers any other casino game a waste of her time and money,"

Cuddy laughed and turned towards Debbie.

"How about you? You consider Roulette a waste of your time and money?" she asked Debbie.

"Nope," Debbie answered cheerfully.

"Then let's go," Cuddy said to her.

"You're _DITCHING_ us?!" Wilson exclaimed as a smile tugged on his lips.

"She's my boss. I have to do what she says," Debbie replied with a grin.

Wilson laughed as Debbie captured Wilson's lips in a kiss. "Come join us soon," she reassured him.

"Have fun," Wilson told her, keeping the grin on his face.

But his grin disappeared quickly.

Because as both Debbie and Cuddy turned and walked away from them through the crowd to head to the Roulette pit, Chase dug his bottle of Vicodin out of his pocket, quickly popped two pills in his mouth and swallowed them dry.

Wilson exhaled, looking away from him uncomfortably while Chase took his pills.

Chase laughed curtly at Wilson.

"Yeah, like you didn't already know," Chase told him in disgust as he shoved the bottle back in his pocket.

"I'm assuming a spa day was your idea," Wilson stated.

"Yeah, so what? Sophie's stressed about school," Chase said defensively.

"And getting RID of her gives you the perfect chance to take your pills without her knowing about it," Wilson pointed out.

"Does House actually _LIKE_ this annoying quality about you?" Chase quipped.

"When are you gonna tell her?" Wilson demanded in a low voice, piercing Chase with his stare.

Chase stared back at him for a few moments. But then he averted his eyes and glanced down at the floor.

"…I'm telling her tonight," Chase mumbled.

"You'd _BETTER_," Wilson warned him.

"I'm surprised YOU didn't," Chase snapped, looking back up at him.

"I almost _DID_," Wilson stated.

Chase furrowed his brow. "Then why didn't you?" he asked, confused.

Wilson blinked slowly, finally looking away from Chase, scanning the crowd absentmindedly.

"A higher power intervened," Wilson confessed.

Chase rose his eyebrows in shock.

"… _HOUSE_ stopped you from telling her?!" Chase asked him incredulously.

"I'm going to join the ladies at Roulette," Wilson said wearily. "Wanna come?" he added as an afterthought.

Chase merely stared at him, trying to imagine exactly how House managed to stop Wilson from telling Sophie about his Vicodin use.

And why House would even bother to do such a thing.

"… No… I'm gonna check in. I'll meet you later," Chase finally said.

Wilson shrugged and walked towards the Roulette pit, leaving Chase still standing in the lobby.

Chase headed over to the front desk with both his and Sophie's bags, still trying to wrap his head around what Wilson had just told him.

Chase had no idea that Joey was still watching him. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------- 

While Cuddy, Wilson and Debbie were at the Roulette table and Chase was waiting on line to check in, House was in the bathroom of his and Cuddy's hotel room.

He had already unpacked his garment bag. The clothing that he had packed plus the additional shirts and pants that Cuddy had added to it were already put away in the top drawers of the hotel room dresser.

But what Cuddy hadn't seen were the films from Chase's MRI that he had managed to sneak in the bag at 2AM while she was asleep and while he was pacing back and forth in her hallway.

As House stood in the bathroom, he popped two Vicodin into his mouth and swallowed them.

Wearing his reading glasses, he then held Chase's films up to the light that was over the bathroom mirror.

He scrutinized the MRI, looking for something-- ANYTHING that would explain Chase's ankle pain—a bump, a crack, swelling.

But he didn't see anything.

House exhaled in annoyance and was about to put the films back into the bag.

But as he began to lower the films down from the light, he saw something.

Something on the image that he hadn't seen before.

Something incredibly tiny and faint.

Something that a fifty year old man who wasn't wearing his reading glasses would have easily missed at first examination of the scan.

Especially if that fifty year old man had just sexed his girlfriend and boss into a coma before sneaking his former employee into Radiology in the middle of the night.

House stared at the tiny, faint something he found as if it was larger than life.

And he smiled a tiny, faint smile.

"_Hello…_" House said cryptically to the tiny, faint something on the MRI scan. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Back down in the casino, Chase, Wilson, Cuddy and Debbie were playing Roulette when Chase suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder.

He turned around and saw that it was Cameron who had tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, you found us!" Chase said in a cheerful voice. He leaned closer to her and kissed her on her cheek.

"You didn't make it easy," Cameron joked. "I walked through the entire casino before stopping here."

Cuddy, Wilson and Debbie stopped playing Roulette, incredibly surprised to see Cameron standing next to them.

"Happy birthday," Cameron said to Wilson, handing him a tiny, silver shopping bag.

"… Thank you," Wilson finally said, trying not to sound too surprised as he took the bag from her, guessing that it was a birthday present for him.

"…Chase didn't tell you I was coming," Cameron surmised as she quickly picked up on the surprise in his face and his voice.

Chase pursed his lips together in slight embarrassment.

He had been so focused on his leg pain and keeping his Vicodin use from Sophie that he had completely forgotten to tell Wilson that he had invited Cameron.

Wilson looked at Chase and then back at Cameron. He smiled broadly.

"That's ok. It's great to see you," Wilson said sincerely, giving her a quick hug and a kiss on her cheek.

"Where's Sophie?" Cameron asked.

"She went to the spa," Chase replied.

"And House?" Cameron asked.

"He's up in the room, probably finding a way to steal food from the mini- bar without paying for it," Cuddy said with a smirk as she placed her chips on some of the numbers on the Roulette table.

"Guess Kutner couldn't make it, huh?" Cameron asked, taking a few twenties out of her purse.

Wilson turned his head sharply at Chase.

"You invited _KUTNER_, too?" Wilson exclaimed.

"Everyone's paired up! I didn't want her to feel like a fifth wheel!" Chase explained, still slightly embarrassed.

"_SEVENTH_ wheel, remember?" Cameron teased, enjoying watching Chase squirm.

Chase snorted and poked Cameron in the ribs playfully as she gave her money to the dealer at the table, making her giggle.

"So what's new?" Chase asked her.

"Well, let's see. I quit my job and I told Neil to go screw himself," Cameron replied in a dead- panned voice.

Once again, everyone snapped their heads around to stare at Cameron in shock.

"So how does a girl get a drink around here?" Cameron asked the dealer with a coy grin. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Joey had been watching the group from another Roulette table for the last half- hour.

He immediately had recognized Wilson upon seeing him in the lobby. He had met him a few times when he had dated Sophie years ago.

He also remembered that Wilson didn't like him all that much.

He also recognized Chase from the picture on Sophie's wall unit from the night he went to pick her up for the frat game a while back.

But he didn't recognize the hot brunette and the two very pretty blondes that were with them.

And one of the blondes seem to be rather chummy with Chase and well into her second drink.

So chummy that Chase wasn't paying that much attention to the Roulette game in front of him.

Joey noticed that Chase and the blonde kept smiling, laughing and finding little ways to touch each other as they played.

Joey smiled slightly, knowing that when Sophie returned from wherever she was and saw the two of them together, that she wouldn't be too happy.

And that what he had in mind for the evening would even be more fun.

TBC…


	39. Chapter 37

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL COMMENTS! I RESPONDED TO THEM ALL!! :D**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) ************************************************************************ **

**CHAPTER 37: Please read and comment.**

Joey watched Cameron down her third rum and coke from his position at a nearby Roulette table. He made sure he was out of Wilson's view, so he wouldn't see him.

He then saw Chase take the drink away from Cameron and placed it out of her reach.

"I think you've had enough to drink for one day, Cameron," Chase chided her.

Cameron tried to reach around Chase's body for her drink, but Chase walked away from the table and gave it to a cocktail waitress who was walking by with an empty tray.

"Oh come on, Chase. Don't be such a poop. I'm having fun," Cameron pouted as Chase returned to the Roulette table.

Slightly drunk, she then walked her fingers up Chase's chest over his t- shirt and gave him a sexy glance.

"You used to remember how to have fun," Cameron said in a flirtatious manner as she caressed his cheek.

Chase and Wilson exchanged uncomfortable glances at the table.

Cuddy pursed her lips together, feeling slightly embarrassed for Cameron, while Debbie suppressed a giggle that was threatening to come out of her mouth.

Joey smiled as he watched and listened to the two of them from his vantage point.

"Maybe we should go get something to eat," Chase suggested as he gently grabbed her wrist, taking it off his face.

"You trying to get me to be alone with you?" Cameron said in the same flirtatious tone.

Chase exhaled in slight annoyance. Despite the fact that Cameron liked to unwind after work with a glass of wine every evening, it was clear that she didn't have much of a tolerance for rum.

"Come on. If you eat, you'll feel better," Chase told her.

"I feel FINE," Cameron argued.

"I'll treat," Chase told her.

Cameron smirked. "You're cute when you care," she said.

Chase continued to stare at her impatiently.

"Oh all right," Cameron muttered.

"We'll see you later," Chase told Wilson, Debbie and Cuddy as he took Cameron by the elbow and led her out of the casino.

As they left the casino area and headed for the nearest restaurant, they saw House walking towards them. He stopped immediately upon seeing Cameron.

Cameron smiled, shook her elbow out of Chase's grasp and strode up to House.

"Hi Greg," Cameron said with a broad grin.

Chase blinked his eyes upon Cameron saying House's first name.

'SHE MUST REALLY BE DRUNK,' Chase thought to himself.

"What are you doing here?" House asked her with a grimace.

Cameron immediately placed her hands on her hips.

"Chase invited me," Cameron said defensively.

House gave her a scrutinizing stare.

"How much have you had to drink?" House asked her.

"What do YOU care?" Cameron shot back.

"I don't. I'm just trying to gauge your misery level," House told her.

"And why do you assume I'm miserable?" Cameron retorted, tilting her head to the side.

"You're here for Wilson birthday because Chase invited you, which means he felt SORRY for you for some reason," House said.

"He doesn't—" Cameron began.

"And you're drinking in the middle of the day, which means that you're miserable about the fact that Lucas found out that Stern is still married," House stated.

Cameron's mouth slacked open slightly in shock.

"You'd probably understand all of that better if you weren't so drunk," House said to Cameron.

"I'm NOT drunk," Cameron argued.

Chase tugged on Cameron's arm, feeling more awkward by the second, especially since there were other hotel guests walking by them and listening to their conversation.

"Let's go eat something. Now," Chase told her firmly.

"Lunch? Great. I'll join you," House said, his eyes brightening.

"House, I don't think that now is the right time—" Chase began.

"You have a tumor in your left ankle," House interrupted, staring intently into Chase's eyes.

Chase fell silent.

He felt his chest and throat tighten as he stared back into House's crystal blue eyes, which looked more serious than they ever had.

Cameron seemed to sober up slightly upon hearing House's words as well. She looked back and forth from Chase to House in shock.

"Still don't want me to join you for lunch?" House asked. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

House, Cameron and Chase were sitting at a table in the back of Lucky's Lounge, a casual eatery and bar in the hotel.

House had ordered a pizza for the table, but Chase and Cameron hadn't touched it.

Chase was staring at the table top in silence, his mind swimming with what House had just told him.

But Cameron was staring at House with a mixture of incredulity and disgust.

"How can you eat?!" Cameron demanded of House. "You just told Chase he has a tumor!"

"You sound a bit more sober," House commented.

Cameron didn't reply. She was still staring at him, her eyes piercing him.

"Relax. It's probably benign," House said with a shrug as he bit into his second slice.

"_PROBABLY_?!" Cameron exclaimed.

"How do you know it's a tumor?" Chase said, barely above a whisper, as he continued to stare at the table top.

"This isn't my first day on the job. I know a tumor when I see one," House replied.

"When did you see it?" Chase asked, his voice still very soft and small.

"A little while ago," House replied.

Chase grimaced in confusion. "How did you see it a little while ago?" he asked, finally looking up from the table.

"I brought the scans with me in my garment bag," House explained, as if it was perfectly normal to bring a patient's MRI films on a weekend getaway.

"Did you bring a light box with you, too?" Chase asked in a sarcastic manner.

"Of course not. That would be ridiculous. I held them up to the light in the bathroom," House explained.

Chase couldn't help but laugh out loud. This entire situation seemed surreal to him.

"I don't understand. Why didn't you see it before?" Chase asked.

"I'm old, it was late, I had just finished having sex with your boss, and I didn't have my glasses on me. You do the math," House replied with a shrug.

Chase glanced at Cameron, who was looking at him sympathetically. He then looked back at House.

"That still doesn't explain why I didn't see it," Chase pointed out.

"Oh please. You _ALWAYS_ trust my judgment and agree with everything I say. I told you it wasn't there, and you believed me," House replied flippantly.

"So why should I believe you _NOW_?" Chase demanded.

House wiped his mouth with a nearby napkin and then looked at Cameron.

"Feel like giving a patient second opinion?" House asked her. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

About five minutes later, House, Cameron and Chase were in House and Cuddy's hotel bathroom. House held Chase's MRI scan up to the bathroom light and the three of them eyed the scan of Chase's ankle critically.

"Is that it?" Cameron asked, pointing to the exact same spot on the scan that House had seen earlier that day.

"Yep," House replied, his eyes honed in on the image of the tumor.

Chase moved closer and stared at the spot that Cameron was pointing to.

He felt his stomach rise up into his throat when he realized that there was indeed something there.

"From what I can see, the tumor's pressing on a nerve, which explains the pain," House stated.

"So would spraining my ankle two months ago," Chase argued.

"You're staring right at it! You really gonna play the denial card?" House asked him with a slight edge to his voice, staring into Chase's eyes once more.

Chase's eyes widened slightly at House's stare as if he was a little boy. He shook his head slightly in silence.

Chase refused to say it out loud, but he was scared.

And House knew it from the look in his eyes.

Cameron glared at House angrily, wishing silently that for once in his life that he would be a bit more sensitive to a patient.

"The tumor could have been caused by nerve entrapment, which is highly under- diagnosed and happens as a result of trauma," House continued calmly, turning his attention back to the scan.

"It explains everything," he added, looking back at Chase.

Chase nodded, still saying nothing.

"I know you must be scared," Cameron began. "But House is probably right. It's most likely benign," she said reassuringly.

"You didn't seem so convinced a few minutes ago," Chase mumbled.

"Either way, it's not in a good location. We have to take a second look to see if anything changed or if it can be removed surgically without any nerve damage…" House began, trailing off as he leaned his hand against the vanity.

"Because if we can't remove it without damaging the nerves, I could lose feeling in my leg," Chase said numbly.

House and Cameron glanced at each other. Cameron's eyes began to glass over, but she held her tears back.

"That's right," House said gruffly.

"And since we won't be able to sneak me in to surgery, we're going to have to tell Cuddy," Chase added.

"About the tumor? Yes. About the Vicodin? No," House clarified.

Cameron snapped her head around at Chase.

"You're taking VICODIN again?!" she exclaimed.

"He doesn't need you giving him a lecture now," House told her in a low voice.

Cameron now turned her head back to House in utter shock.

"You're… PROTECTING him?!" she managed to say.

Just then, Chase's cell phone rang in his pocket. He dug it out and saw "SOPHIE" on his caller ID.

"It's Sophie. She's probably done at the spa," Chase said as he opened the phone.

Cameron and House watched Chase as he left the bathroom and made his way towards a chair in the main area of the room.

"Hey Soph. How was it?" Chase asked as cheerily as he could.

"Incredible," Sophie sighed happily on the other end.

"I can't wait to see how pretty you are," Chase said softly.

"I was going to go up to our room to change, but I remembered that I don't have a key," Sophie told him.

Chase chuckled. "Stay there. I'll meet you in a few minutes," he told her.

"Ok," she said sweetly and hung up.

Chase closed his phone as the smile drifted off his face. He leaned forward in the chair, his elbows leaning on his legs, looking down at the carpet.

"How am I gonna tell her about this?" Chase whispered sadly.

Cameron felt the tears fall down her cheeks as she moved closer to Chase. She placed her hand on his back gently.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Cameron asked him.

"No. I need to do this myself," Chase said, shaking his head and sitting up straight. 

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Sophie came out of the spa, wearing a plush white terry cloth robe and a pair of flip- flops that they had given her. After getting a manicure, pedicure, facial and a body scrub, she felt wonderful and completely relaxed.

She found a place to sit outside the spa on a cushy chair. She closed her eyes and smiled, thinking about how she couldn't wait for Chase to feel how soft her skin was later that night.

"Hey gorgeous," a male voice said near her.

She froze in her seat upon hearing a voice she recognized immediately. She opened her eyes and saw Joey standing in front of her.

As a reflex, she closed her robe even more than it already was around her chest and sat up straighter.

Joey gave her a lingering once over, still standing in front of her, imagining what she looked and felt like under her robe.

"What are you doing here?" Sophie asked him.

"Working," Joey replied casually.

"Find any sucker tourists yet?" Sophie asked.

"A few," Joey said.

"Great," she said flatly.

"Saw your little entourage downstairs. Including your boyfriend," Joey said.

Sophie stood up from her chair and folded her arms across her chest as she shifted her weight to one side.

"Not that it's any of your business, but we're here for my brother's birthday," Sophie said icily.

"Does Chase ALWAYS invite his ex girlfriend along on weekend getaways?" Joey asked.

'ALLISON MUST HAVE GOTTEN HERE,' she thought to herself.

But instead to answering him, she merely blinked her eyes once, not breaking her stare with him.

"I assumed that the way she was drunkenly flirting with Chase down at the Roulette table that they used to go together. I heard Chase call her 'Cameron.' Is that her first or her last name?" Joey asked her.

"It's her last name," Sophie replied calmly.

"They seemed… kinda close," Joey said, his voice dripping with insinuation as he took a step closer to her.

Sophie knew Joey all too well that he was trying to goad her. Winding her up had always been one of his favorite pastimes.

But she wasn't about to indulge him this time.

"Why are you here and what do you want from me?" Sophie asked him evenly.

"I told you. I'm working," Joey repeated.

"Well, you'd better go back to work, because Robbie's meeting me here in a few minutes," Sophie stated.

"There's a Hold 'Em tournament tonight in the Poker Room," he said.

Sophie's eyebrow raised ever so slightly.

And Joey noticed it.

"The pot's $200,000. You want in?" Joey asked her.

TBC…


	40. Chapter 38

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS! I RESPONDED TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY.**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

******************************************************************* **

**CHAPTER 38: Please read and comment.**

"There's a Hold 'Em tournament tonight in the Poker Room," he said.

Sophie's eyebrow raised ever so slightly.

And Joey noticed it.

"The pot's $200,000. You want in?" Joey asked her.

For a moment, Sophie kept her gaze even with him as she quickly weighed the pros and cons of hustling at a casino tournament.

And for that moment, she was thoroughly disgusted with herself that she had actually considered it.

"No thanks," Sophie finally said.

"A bounty tournament for 200 grand and you're saying '_no_?'" Joey said in disbelief.

"A bounty tournament means there's a buy- in," Sophie reminded him.

Joey nodded. "Two- thousand," he said.

"I don't have the scratch for that," Sophie replied nonchalantly.

"Oh please. You could grind that out in less than an hour from any of those humps down there," Joey argued.

"And I'm not crazy enough to help a mechanic at a casino! There's surveillance cameras, other pros, judges—" Sophie shot back.

"Then why did it take you so long to answer me?" Joey asked her.

Sophie inhaled slightly as his eyes bore into her. A tiny smile formed on Joey's lips, knowing exactly why she had taken more than two seconds to say 'no' to him.

"We can make it look good," Joey said convincingly.

"No way. Find someone else," Sophie stated.

"You're forgetting how well I know you," Joey said, his voice lowering slightly.

He then closed the distance between them and traced his index finger along her jawline, causing Sophie to move her face away from him sharply.

"You've got alligator blood, and you get off on this shit," Joey said, his voice bordering on the edge of menacing.

Sophie could feel her heart racing inside her as his eyes continued to penetrate her.

But she refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction in any way to what he had just said.

"I also have a feeling that the eleven grand you won a while back is starting to run out," he added.

"I can live off my case money," Sophie said coolly.

"Not for much longer," Joey pointed out.

"I told you that I'd never play with you again. And I _MEANT_ it," Sophie stated firmly.

The smile on Joey's face broadened as he gave her another once over in her robe.

"We'll see," Joey said. "You've got three hours before registration closes to change your mind."

Having nothing else to say to her, Joey turned and began to walk towards the double frosted glass doors that exited the Spa.

As he opened one of the doors, Chase happened to walk through the door to enter the Spa at the same time.

Sophie's stomach rose up into her throat when she saw the two of them begin to pass each other in the doorway.

She almost vomited when Joey stopped in the doorway to meet Chase's eyes.

"Excuse me," Joey said, staring at Chase right in the face, knowing exactly who he was.

Chase glanced at him briefly, not taking much notice of him and too preoccupied with what House had just told him to care if he had been in the guy's way or not. He didn't reply as he passed Joey and walked into the Spa area.

By now, Sophie could feel her insides quivering. But she managed to keep her nervousness under control and force a smile when Chase approached her.

Chase smiled slightly as he reached her and kissed her softly on her mouth.

"I'm sorry I didn't leave you a key," Chase said in a small voice.

"That's all right," Sophie replied.

As she willed herself to calm down, she suddenly became aware of the sadness in Chase's eyes and the tone of his voice.

"Are you ok?" Sophie asked him with concern as she placed her hand on his chest.

Chase continued to look deeply into her eyes. He then finally nodded.  "…Yeah. Are you ready to go up?" Chase asked.

Sophie nodded in reply. Chase then took her hand in his, lacing his fingers through hers as they walked to the nearby elevators in silence.

As they waited for the elevators, Sophie noted that despite the fact that Chase said that he couldn't wait to see how pretty she looked after her time at the Spa, he didn't say anything about it when he saw her. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few minutes later, after a silent and tense elevator ride up to their floor, Chase and Sophie entered their hotel room.

"Thanks… for checking in and bringing my stuff up," Sophie said.

"…No problem," Chase replied with a slight nod.

Sophie unzipped her small suitcase and took out a pair of low - rise dark jeans, an army green v- neck fitted t- shirt, a bra and panties. As she did, Chase flipped through the leather bound hotel guide on the desk in their room absentmindedly.

"I'll just change and then we can go back downstairs. Did you eat yet?" Sophie asked.

"…No… not yet," Chase said in a distracted manner, looking up at her briefly and then focusing back on the guide that he wasn't even reading.

Holding her clothes, Sophie exhaled deeply, slumping her shoulders.

"Honey, I have to tell you something," Sophie stated.

Chase turned towards her direction, but for some reason, he couldn't look at her.

"I need to tell you something too—" he said softly.

"Joey's here," Sophie blurted out.

Chase looked up from the hotel carpet and momentarily forgot about his own issues at her words. He shook his head in slight bewilderment.

"Joey… your ex- boyfriend?" Chase asked.

Sophie nodded as she sat down on the bed near her suitcase.

"He's the guy who just walked past you near the spa. I didn't tell him that we'd be here. He's working… and he wants me to help him win this poker tournament tonight," Sophie said in a weary voice as she looked down at her lap.

Chase pursed his lips together and sat down next to her. He placed his hand on her leg over her terry cloth robe.

"I'm assuming 'help' means that he wants you to help him cheat," Chase clarified in a gentle voice as he rubbed her thigh.

"Yeah," Sophie said in embarrassment.

"So what did you tell him?" Chase said, as he moved a few stray locks of her hair away from her face.

"I told him 'no,'" Sophie whispered.

"But you wanted to say 'yes,'" Chase said knowingly in the same gentle voice.

"… Yeah," Sophie admitted, feeling a giant wave of relief and shame come over her at the same time.

Chase nodded, keeping his gaze on her. "Then why didn't you?" he asked.

"Because I love you and I promised you that I'd never play with him again," Sophie said, finding her voice again.

Chase smiled as his heart swelled inside him. He tilted her face upwards to have her meet his gaze. Her eyes were sparkling slightly with tears.

"What was the prize?" Chase asked, lovingly tracing her jaw line with his thumb.

"Two- hundred thousand dollars," Sophie confessed.

Chase blurted out a laugh. "You must really love me," Chase joked half- heartedly.

Sophie shook her head ever so slightly.

"Robbie… _you're the love of my life_," Sophie replied sincerely.

Chase felt his own eyes begin to well up at her words. He took a deep breath and let it out, steeling himself as he got ready to finally tell her what he had been keeping from her for so long.

He took his hand off her face and took both her hands in his, rubbing the soft skin on the back of her hands with his thumbs.

"Sophie… I need to tell you something—" Chase began, swallowing as he looked down at her hands.

"I know about the Vicodin," Sophie interrupted gently. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Chase couldn't believe what Sophie had just told him.

"…You _KNEW_ about the Vicodin?" Chase repeated in complete shock.

Sophie nodded as a small, sympathetic smile crossed her features.

"…H-How…" Chase managed to stammer.

"Well, I know you're always happy to see me, but that doesn't explain that bulge in your jeans pocket that you've had since this morning," Sophie said, jutting her chin forward.

Chase looked down at his lap and saw that the outline of his Vicodin bottle was indeed visible through the outside of his jeans pocket. He let out a sheepish chuckle at the sight.

"How long has the pain been back?" Sophie asked him.

Chase could tell by the loving tone in her voice that she wasn't the least bit angry or disappointed in him. He let out a sigh of relief and squeezed her hands.

"Since the Fundraiser," Chase told her.

"Before our fight or after?" Sophie asked.

"After," Chase told her.

He then leaned back slightly, letting go of her hands and dug the bottle of pills out of his pocket, handing them to her. She took the pills from him and saw that House was the prescribing doctor on the bottle.

"… House wrote you this script?" Sophie asked in confusion.

Chase nodded slowly. "After our fight, I went into House's office to swipe the pills he took from me before I went into rehab. House figured out that I had swiped the pills, and he gave me the ones in your hand as a refill," Chase explained.

"So… House knew you took the pills… but he gave you more anyway," Sophie clarified.

"Yes," Chase said.

"Then you must have been in horrible pain," Sophie said sadly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Chase looked down at his lap, completely ashamed of himself.

"It was bad enough I had to go to rehab once," he said, barely above a whisper. "The fact that I relapsed—"

"I'd never judge you," Sophie told him lovingly but firmly as she touched his cheek, trying to get him to look at her.

Chase merely nodded, still unable to meet her eyes. Sophie placed both her hands on both of his cheeks to make him look at her. When their eyes met, Sophie could see how humiliated Chase was about all of this.

"You're _not_ an addict. You were in _pain_," Sophie told him.

"… I still am…" Chase said.

"I didn't realize a sprained ankle could cause this much difficulty," Sophie said.

"It's not the sprain," Chase told her.

Sophie tilted her head slightly, not understanding what he meant. Chase smiled weakly at her and placed his hand on top of hers on her lap.

"Sophie… I have a tumor," Chase said as gently as he could.

At first, the words didn't register in Sophie's mind. After a few seconds, her lips parted slightly, and her throat felt dry. Chase inhaled deeply before he began to explain.

"Based on the MRI that House took of my ankle, we think that nerve entrapment occurred after the initial trauma… and that it caused the growth of a tumor pressing on one of the nerves near my talus bone," Chase explained in a voice he only reserved for patients.

Sophie nodded, pressing her lips together as she listened.

"It's most likely benign… but it's not in a good location," Chase continued, feeling his voice start to crack.

"…What does that mean?" Sophie managed to say.

"It means… that if the surgeons aren't able to remove it without causing nerve damage, that I could lose feeling in my leg," Chase told her.

Sophie couldn't believe what she was hearing. She felt her chest tighten inside her body.

"Would... you be able to walk?" Sophie asked him, her own voice breaking.

"…I don't know," Chase admitted.

"What if it's benign? Do they have to remove it?" Sophie asked, her voice becoming a bit more frantic.

"If they don't remove it, I could be in chronic pain for years… maybe forever," Chase told her softly in an effort to calm her down.

"And it could change with time," Chase added.

Sophie understood what he meant. She swallowed hard.

"So you don't really have a choice," Sophie said.

"Not really," Chase agreed.

They sit there silently on the bed, her hands in his. Chase continued to caress the back of her hands with his thumbs.

"Your hands are really soft," Chase commented quietly, his lips turning up at the corners.

Sophie had to laugh at his random observation and his tiny smile.

"So are my feet," She said, with a chuckle.

Chase gently picked her legs up off the bed and placed them over his lap. He rubbed the top of her instep and admired the light pink pedicure she had gotten down at the spa.

His tiny smile returned when he noticed her toes.

"They put little flowers on your first toe?" Chase asked.

"It's a decal. I thought you'd like it," Sophie said with a shrug.

Chase continued to caress her foot as he looked deeply into the eyes of the woman who loved him with all of her heart and who he loved just as much.

"I do," he told her. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

While Chase and Sophie were still in their hotel room, House and Cameron returned to the casino. House was carrying the envelope of Chase's films. They noticed that Wilson, Debbie and Cuddy were no longer at the Roulette table, but had moved over to Blackjack. House nodded a greeting to Wilson when he saw him.

"It's about time you guys got back. I was wondering if you two ran off together," Wilson joked upon seeing House and Cameron together.

"We did. I took her back to my hotel room," House said.

Wilson raised his eyebrow. "I hope at least you took some pictures," he said in a deadpanned voice.

"We did," House said, as he took the films out of the envelope and placed it on top of Wilson's cards on the Blackjack table.

"Sir—" the dealer warned.

"Relax. I'm a doctor," House told the dealer in a condescending voice.

"You took MRI images of Cameron's ankle at a casino?" Cuddy asked.

"You didn't know? They have an MRI in the basement," Wilson quipped.

"These are the films of Chase's ankle that I took on Wednesday night back in Princeton after you fell asleep," House told Cuddy.

Cuddy's eyebrows shot up at House's statement. "You wanna start from the beginning?"

"No," House stated.

Before Cuddy could get a word in edgewise, House pointed to the spot on the MRI that he and Cameron had seen earlier.

"Chase has a tumor caused by nerve entrapment. It's been causing him severe pain for the last few weeks. It needs to be removed, and since Chase is the patient, I can't manipulate him into operating on himself," House said.

Wilson stared at the MRI and immediately saw what House was pointing at.

"There's really something there," Wilson said incredulously, his eyes widening.

Wilson looked up at House, the shock evident on his features, waiting for House to shove it in his face that he had been right about Chase's pain having a physical cause.

But as House's eyes locked with Wilson's intently, he said absolutely nothing.

TBC…


	41. Chapter 39

**GAH!**

**FINALLY!**

**THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS! I RESPONDED TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 39: Please read and comment.**

Chase and Sophie had been lying on the bed in each other's arms for the last twenty minutes.

Twenty minutes ago, Chase had finally told Sophie about his Vicodin use and that he had a tumor on his left ankle.

Since then, neither of them had said a word.

They just held each other in silence.

Still in her robe, Sophie lay her head on Chase's chest, once again comforted by the dulcet sound of the heart murmur he had since he was a child.

"Are you hungry?" Chase suddenly asked.

Sophie looked up at Chase in surprise.

"Are you?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

Chase gave her a lopsided grin. "Yeah," he said.

"There's… probably something in the mini- bar," Sophie said as she sat up on the bed.

"Nah, let's go downstairs and eat," Chase told her.

"…You sure you want to?" Sophie asked tentatively, confused about his sudden levity.

Chase smiled at her, sat up on the bed and kissed her lips softly.

"As much as I'd love to stay in this hotel room with you for the rest of the weekend, the others are probably starting to wonder where the hell we are," Chase said to her.

Sophie continued to search his face, still trying to figure out his change in mood.

"There's nothing we can do about this until the weekend is over. So let's just try to enjoy ourselves," Chase explained.

Sophie smiled at him warmly and brushed her lips against his.

"Sounds good to me," she agreed. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A short while later, Sophie had changed into her clothes and was riding down the elevator with Chase to the casino, holding his hand when a thought came into her mind.

"… Who else knows about… the tumor?" Sophie said, almost unable to get the words out of her mouth.

"They all do," Chase said with a shrug as he watched the numbers descend at the top of the elevator.

At first, Sophie was slightly taken aback, thinking to herself why she was the last to know about it.

Sensing her thoughts, Chase turned to her and gave her an apologetic look.

"House announced it in the middle of the casino. I didn't even know about it until a little while ago," Chase told her.

Sophie chuckled. "That sounds like him," she admitted.

Just then, the elevator reached the casino level and the doors opened up. Chase gave her hand an affectionate squeeze.

"C'mon. Let me treat my girl to lunch before she takes all my money later tonight at the tables," Chase teased as he led her out of the elevator.

"Robbie, we don't have to play—" Sophie began.

"Are you kidding me? Of course we're gonna play," Chase replied indignantly.

Before Sophie could say that he didn't have to prove that this wasn't bothering him, Chase stepped closer to her, his blue- green eyes sparkling mischievously.

"And DON'T go easy on me just because I have a tumor," Chase told her, fighting back a grin.

Sophie bit her lip, completely disarmed by the way he was looking at her.

"All right. If you say so," Sophie shrugged playfully.

Chase pulled her closer to him and squeezed her a$$ in the middle of the crowded hallway that led to the casino.

"I say so," Chase murmured sexily against her ear.

"Ooh, aggressive. I like that," Sophie murmured back. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

While Chase and Sophie were heading down to the casino, House, Cuddy, Wilson, Debbie and Cameron were sitting in a large round booth in Lucky's Lounge.

The films from Chase's MRI were lying on the table.

All five of them were staring at them in silence.

"Should we call Chase to see if he's ok?" Cameron suggested softly.

"Leave him alone," House replied gruffly.

Wilson looked up from the films in surprise and stared at House intently.

He still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that House had taken such an interest in Chase like this.

But House ignored Wilson's stare and turned to Cuddy.

"I want Cohen and Winick to do the surgery," House told her.  

Cuddy blinked twice. "Dr. Cohen is Chase's boss," Cuddy reminded him.

"And he's the best neurosurgeon in the hospital, and Winick is the best orthopedic surgeon in the hospital," House replied.

"Cohen won't touch this!" Cuddy exclaimed.

"Of course he will. He's an egomaniac. He'd LOVE to brag to his golfing buddies that he successfully extracted a tumor like this—" House began.

"There's a conflict of interest and if he screws up—" Cuddy argued.

"He won't screw up," House scoffed.

"If he DOES screw up, that means HE'LL be the one who caused Chase never to WALK again!" Cuddy stated vehemently.

Wilson, Cameron and Debbie exchanged uncomfortable glances as House and Cuddy argued about Chase.

"We should ask Chase what he wants," Cameron said.

"No we shouldn't," House said.

"HE's the patient! He has a say in what happens to his body!" Cameron argued, feeling her own anger begin to rise.

"And I'M his doctor. Which means I tell him what HAS to happen to his body," House stated firmly.  "Wow, are my ears burning," Chase suddenly said.

The five of them turned in unison to see Chase and Sophie standing in front of the booth, holding hands. Wilson and Debbie slid over in the large booth to let the both of them sit down next to them.

"So, what's going on?" Chase asked, knowing perfectly well what was going on.

"Cuddy thinks you should be in pain for the rest of your life," House stated to Chase.

"I did NOT say that!" Cuddy exclaimed.

"I think she likes the idea of really hot men in chronic pain working at her hospital," House said to Chase in a conspiratorial tone.

"I just don't know if Cohen will be willing to do this. It's risky," Cuddy explained.

Chase folded his hands together on the table top and leaned forward.

"I think I've kissed his ass sufficiently to warrant him cutting me open," Chase said with a smirk.

A tiny grin played on House's lips at Chase's statement. Cameron smiled as well.

But Cuddy's facial expression didn't change in the least. Chase sighed in exasperation.

"You're afraid I'm gonna sue the hospital if he screws up?" Chase asked.

"I'm afraid that there's a chance that he can screw up!" Cuddy retorted.

"Look, I can't do anything about this until after the weekend, so what's the point in dwelling on it until then?" Chase asked.

"Kinda like 'eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you may be hooked on Vicodin for the rest of your life or in a wheelchair?'" House asked.

"Exactly," Chase agreed.

House reached over for a menu. "Works for me," he said.

Chase nodded and reached over for a menu as well to the surprise of everyone else at the table. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

After lunch, the seven of them headed back to the casino, which had become considerably more crowded. Since the seven of them were unable to find a Hold 'Em table to sit at together, they decided to split up.

House, Wilson, Debbie and Cuddy were sitting at one table, placing their bets for the flop.

"C'mon. I wanna hear you say it," House said to Wilson as he placed the small blind.

"You were right, ok?" Wilson said, rolling his eyes as he placed the big blind.

"Ohhhh. Was that good for you, too?" House said in voice dripping with mock pleasure.

The dealer smirked slightly as she dealt each player two cards face down.

"So that's what this is all about. You just wanted to get the diagnosis right," Wilson said as he glanced at his hole cards.

"Yep," House replied as he did the same.

"No," Wilson replied.

"You asked for the best two surgeons in the hospital to operate on Chase. If you only cared about getting the diagnosis right, then you wouldn't have cared who operated on him—" Wilson began.

"Oh will you STOP it already?!" Cuddy suddenly exclaimed in frustration.

House, Wilson and Debbie's eye's almost popped out of their heads at Cuddy's outburst.

"So he cares! So what?! Is that such a bad thing?" Cuddy demanded.

"… No… it's just—" Wilson began meekly.

"You're just as bad as he is!" Cuddy stated.

"No I'm not!" Wilson replied indignantly.

"Is the world going end if he wants to help Chase?" Cuddy asked.

"…It… might…" Wilson began.

"No. It WON'T. So give the psychoanalysis a rest already," Cuddy said as she finally peeked at her hole cards.

House stared at Cuddy with extreme interest.

"Ok… THAT was unexpected," House admitted. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few tables down from House, Wilson, Cuddy and Debbie, Chase, Cameron and Sophie were at another Hold 'Em table in the middle of a hand. Cameron had already folded early on in the hand, but Chase and Sophie were still in the game.

"I re-raise," Sophie said calmly, tossing a few more chips into the pot.

Chase held his breath and glanced at the flop once more.

"I call," he said, tossing the same amount of chips into the pot to match her bet.

Sophie leaned forward slightly across the table and gave Chase a seductive grin.

"You're bluffing," Sophie stated confidently.

"I fold," Chase snorted in disgust as he tossed his cards into the middle.

Sophie's grin broadened as she gathered the chips from the middle of the table and quickly restacked them. Chase couldn't help but smile at her.

"How did you know?" Chase asked Sophie.

"You held your breath," Sophie replied as she continued to stack her chips.

"I did NOT!" Chase argued.

Sophie glanced at Cameron with a deadpanned look on her face, causing Cameron to chuckle.

"Yeah you did," Cameron agreed.

Chase rolled his eyes as the dealer gathered the cards and reshuffled for the next hand.s

"So when you you think you're gonna have the surgery?" Sophie asked Chase.

"Hopefully sometime this week. I'd like to get it over with," Chase replied.

Upon hearing this, Sophie took her cell phone, pulled out the slide- out keypad and began to type.

"What are you doing?" Chase asked in curiosity.

"I'm sending my professor an e-mail telling him that I'll be missing classes and rounds for the week because I'll be in Princeton," Sophie replied good- naturedly.

Chase furrowed his brow. "You're not missing school for this," Chase declared.

"Why not?" Sophie asked him in surprise.

"I thought you have that big project due," Chase reminded her.

"I do. I'll finish it while I stay with you and FedEx it to him," Sophie said with a shrug.

"But I thought you said you had to present it to him," Chase added.

"I'm sure he'll reschedule my presentation date," Sophie assured him.

Chase exhaled in exasperation. "Sophie, you don't have to do this," he told her.

"If I go back to school, I won't be able to concentrate while you're in surgery, and after that you're gonna need someone to take care of you for a while," Sophie explained to him.

"I can help Chase," Cameron offered.

At this, both Sophie and Chase stared at Cameron in surprise.

"It's not like I have any reason to go back to Manhattan anyway," Cameron reminded them.

For some reason, Sophie didn't like where this was going.

"...Isn't it customary to give two weeks notice when you resign?" Sophie asked.

"I'm not giving that jerk anything," Cameron stated in slight disgust.

"But—" Sophie began.

"You sure you don't mind?" Chase suddenly asked Cameron.

Sophie sharply turned her head away from Cameron towards Chase in complete shock.

Cameron smiled and rubbed Chase's arm affectionately.

"Not at all," she replied.

Before Sophie could ask where Cameron would be sleeping, a familiar male voice interrupted her.

"Mind if I sit?" the male voice asked nonchalantly.

Chase, Sophie and Cameron looked up at the young man standing next to their table.

Cameron didn't recognize him, and Chase, not really paying attention to the man when he had passed him through the Spa doors didn't recognize him either.

But Sophie knew him all too well.

He had silky black hair with fringe bangs that framed his forehead and bright green eyes. He was wearing worn in jeans, a graphic t- shirt and an extremely worn in leather jacket. He was holding a moderately sized rack of chips in his hand.

"There aren't any other empty seats, so—" Joey Smythe began cordially.

"Sure. Why not?" Cameron offered with a smile.

Sophie watched Joey sit down next to her and unload his chips from the rack.

Her heart was racing inside her as he did.

"I usually play stud, but I thought I'd try my hand at Texas Hold 'Em," Joey said innocently, lying through his teeth.

"Well, I'm a beginner too, so you're in good company," Cameron said.

"But you'd better watch out for her," Chase said, jutting his chin at Sophie with a cute grin on his face. "She doesn't take any prisoners."

"Oh really?" Joey asked, turning towards Sophie.

Sophie kept her gaze on Joey calm as he gave her a meaningful look.

"Well then maybe you help me out," Joey said to her lightly.

After years of hustling poker with Joey, Sophie knew that what he had just said to her was a code between them, indicating that they should work together covertly to take down a weak player.

And since Cameron and Chase had both just identified themselves as novices to him, Sophie knew that they were his mark.

Normally, Sophie wouldn't even consider working with a partner at a casino because of the risks.

But after Cameron had just offered to care for Chase in Sophie's absence and Chase agreed, she decided that it might be a challenge worth taking.

TBC…


	42. Chapter 40

**THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS!**

**WE'RE COMING TO THE END SOON. I'M ESTIMATING ABOUT FIVE MORE CHAPTERS. :(**

**BUT HERE'S THE NEXT ONE!!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

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**CHAPTER 40: Please read and comment.**

"Ok… THAT was unexpected," House admitted.

Cuddy rolled her eyes in exasperation. "What? That I defended you?" Cuddy asked him.

"That you lost your cool like that," House commented.

"I've lost my cool many times," Cuddy said dismissively.

"At _ME_. Never at Wilson," House stated.

"He was _ANNOYING_ me!" Cuddy exclaimed. "He wouldn't stop psychoanalyzing you!"

"He's _ALWAYS_ annoying and psychoanalyzing me. But that never bothers you," House told her.

Debbie shot House a disgusted stare.

"He's NOT always annoying," Debbie stated emphatically.

"You've only been dating a short time. Trust me. He's annoying," House told her.

"So what are you getting at?" Cuddy said wearily.

House leaned slightly across the table, his bright blue eyes sparkling.

"Mood swings usually suggest hormone fluctuations," House reminded her.

"I'm not pregnant," Cuddy stated dismissively.

"Then you're just bitchy?" House offered.

"Why are those the only two options? Can't I just be put- off by something that Wilson says?" Cuddy demanded in annoyance.

But Wilson wasn't paying attention.

He was too focused on the fact that Joey Smythe, his sister's ex- boyfriend, had just sat down at Sophie's table. 

---------------------------------------------------------------- 

"I usually play stud, but I thought I'd try my hand at Texas Hold 'Em," Joey said innocently, lying through his teeth.

"Well, I'm a beginner too, so you're in good company," Cameron said.

"But you'd better watch out for her," Chase said, jutting his chin at Sophie with a cute grin on his face. "She doesn't take any prisoners."

"Oh really?" Joey asked, turning towards Sophie.

Sophie kept her gaze on Joey calm as he gave her a meaningful look.

"Well then maybe you help me out," Joey said to her lightly.

After years of hustling poker with Joey, Sophie knew that what he had just said to her was a code between them, indicating that they should work together covertly to take down a weak player.

And since Cameron and Chase had both just identified themselves as novices to him, Sophie knew that they were his mark.

Normally, Sophie wouldn't even consider working with a partner at a casino because of the risks.

But after Cameron had just offered to care for Chase in Sophie's absence and Chase agreed, she decided that it might be a challenge worth taking.

But before Joey could place the small blind, Sophie started counting her chips and placing them in the plastic rack that she had next to her.

"Anybody mind if I sit this one out?" Sophie asked the table.

Chase and Cameron exchanged confused glances with each other.

Inside, Joey could feel his anger seething to the surface. She had obviously decided against helping him.

But he kept his face calm.

"I feel bad. I've been neglecting Jimmy on his birthday," Sophie explained, pasting an apologetic look on her face.

"Sure. Go right ahead," Chase said, giving her an understanding smile.

Sophie stood up with her chips and headed over to Wilson's table, which was only a few feet away, without giving Joey as much as a second glance.

Chase watched Sophie leave the table.

For a second, a sad look flashed into his eyes as he watched her go.

But he quickly forced a smile once he turned to Cameron.

"Guess you've got the big blind," Chase said to her.

As Cameron tossed in the appropriate amount of chips and the dealer distributed everyone's hole cards, Joey automatically observed their faces for any tells that would indicate what they were holding.

To him, catching people's tells was an old habit. Like breathing.

But his real goal for the weekend wasn't to hustle them.

His real goal had been to get Sophie to play with him in the tournament.

And driving a wedge between her and Chase to get her back into his bed would be a sweet bonus.

But now that she had taken herself out of the equation, he had to come up with a new plan. 

------------------------------------------------------------------

 "What's Joey doing here?" Wilson demanded of Sophie as she took an empty seat at their table.

"He's playing in the tournament tonight," Sophie mumbled with a shrug as she took her chips out of the plastic rack she had been carrying.

"And he just _HAPPENED_ to sit down with you," Wilson stated in an interrogational tone.

Sophie nodded in response, ignoring the irate look on her brother's face.

Wilson had disliked Joey from the start. Even though Joey was still in school when Wilson had met him for the first time, he had immediately gotten a bad vibe from him.

He had been relieved that Sophie broke up with Joey when he had decided to make poker his career.

But he wasn't too happy that Sophie continued to see him and work games with him.

"Is this the same Joey that Chase threw a hissy fit about at the benefit?" House asked with interest.

"What's going on?" Cuddy asked, confused.

"Oh right. You weren't there for that. You were passed out in Kutner's arms," House told her.

"Does Chase know who he is?" Wilson demanded of Sophie.

House leaned over and snuck a peak at Chase's table. Chase, Cameron and Joey were all smiling and laughing together as they seemed to be playing a friendly game.

"Based on the way all Chase is smiling all of his eighty- four teeth, I doubt it," House remarked.

Sophie rolled her eyes, but didn't bother to comment at House's snark at Chase's expense.

"And if you excused yourself from the table, it means that you don't care if Joey cleans them out," House said to Sophie as he turned back to her.

Sophie shrugged absentmindedly, still looking at her chips. Debbie, Wilson and Cuddy raised their eyebrows in genuine surprise.

"Which means Chase did something to piss you off," House concluded.

"It wasn't just him," Sophie said softly.

She looked up from her chips with a melancholy look on her face.

"I told Robbie that I'd take the week off school to be with him and help him after his surgery. And he said he didn't want me to," Sophie explained.

"So Cameron offered to help him and he thought that was just _GREAT_," Sophie continued, her voice becoming noticeably more irritated and sarcastic.

A tiny, knowing smirk appeared on House's features.

But the rest of the table didn't notice it.

"He probably just doesn't want you to fall behind in your work," Debbie said reassuringly.

"He doesn't give a damn about her work," House stated.

Sophie then glanced over at Chase's table, and saw Chase and Cameron laughing and smiling at each other as they played with Joey.

As she watched them, Sophie felt a horrible chill go through her and her heart ache.

"Excuse me. I'm just gonna get some air," Sophie said sadly, as she got up from the table.

"You want me to come with you?" Wilson offered. Sophie shook her head.

"He doesn't have feelings for Cameron, either," House stated to Sophie before she could walk away.

Sophie turned back to face House with a numb, defeated look on her face.

"Well, when you figure out the mystery, be sure to let me know," Sophie told him before she turned to leave the casino, leaving her chips on the table.

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

After about twenty minutes, Joey had completely cleaned out Chase and Cameron of all their chips.

But Chase and Cameron didn't seem to be upset in any way. They were still laughing and smiling with each other.

Chase was having such a good time that he hadn't even noticed that Sophie had left the casino.

"Looks like we suck at this," Chase joked to Cameron playfully.

"Hey, you've been playing longer than I have. If anybody sucks at this, it's you," Cameron joked back.

The dealer then stepped away from the table to take a break, leaving Chase, Cameron and Joey alone.

"So how long have you two been together?" Joey asked them casually as he counted the chips he had just taken off of them.

Cameron and Chase exchanged amused, slightly embarrassed glances with each other and chuckled.

"We're not together. We're just friends," Cameron explained to him.

"But you used to be," Joey stated lightly, still focused on his chips.

At this, the smiles slowly disappeared from Chase and Cameron's faces.

"…How do you know that?" Chase asked him with suspicion.

"Based on the way she was drunkenly hanging all over you at the Roulette table earlier,  I figured you'd hit that in the past," Joey stated.

Cameron felt a flush of embarrassment rise to her cheeks at Joey's comment as she looked down at the table.

Chase raised his eyebrow at Joey.

"Do I know you?" Chase asked him guardedly.

"You know OF me," Joey stated, still focused on his chips.

Chase narrowed his eyebrows slightly.

"You look familiar," Chase commented.

"Yeah, that's cuz I passed you on my way out of the Spa after I was talking to Sophie," Joey commented casually as he placed his chips in his own plastic rack.

"How do you know my girlfriend's name?" Chase demanded, his anger now beginning to rise.

Joey finally looked up from his chips as a sly, creepy smile crept across his face.

"Because I used to _FUCK_ her," Joey explained simply, still smiling.

Cameron's eyebrows shot up in shock.

Chase could feel his blood boiling. He exhaled through his nose, trying his hardest to keep from reaching over the table and punching him in the face.

"And she was the sweetest thing I ever tasted," Joey added, licking his lip slightly.

Chase felt his self- control quickly slip away. He stood up from the table, feeling a sudden surge of pain in his ankle, which he avoided.

"I'm gonna give you three seconds to get out of my sight," Chase said evenly, his eyes shooting daggers at Joey.

"Chase…" Cameron said, standing up and placing her hand on his arm in an attempt to keep him calm.

Joey, still seated, merely smiled. He gave Cameron a lingering once over, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.

"But apparently, Sophie's not the sweetest thing _YOU'VE_ ever tasted," Joey said slyly.

"That's it—" Chase stated as he reached across the table and grabbed the collar of Joey's extremely worn in leather jacket.

Joey braced himself for the hit as Cameron did her best to pull Chase off of Joey.

"What's going on here?" A voice suddenly said next to them.

Chase, Joey and Cameron immediately turned towards the voice and saw two rather large men standing next to them, both wearing dark suits and carrying walkie- talkies.

Chase immediately let go of Joey's collar and backed up slightly.

"Whoops. The fuzz," Joey said, completely undaunted.

"Nothing's wrong," Cameron quickly explained to the two men. "They were just having a slight disagreement."

"Take it outside," one of the men told them in a warning tone.

After the two men left, Chase focused his attention back on Joey.

"You're lucky I didn't break your nose more than it already is," Chase said.

Joey merely grinned in response. He picked up his rack of chips and winked at Cameron.

"Have a nice weekend," Joey said before leaving the table.

TBC…


	43. Chapter 41

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS! I RESPONDED TO THEM INDIVIDUALLY.**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

******************************************************************* **

**CHAPTER 41: Please read and comment.**

"Have a nice weekend," Joey said, winking at Cameron before getting up from his seat at the poker table and leaving with his chips.

He had just taken six hundred dollars off of Chase and four hundred dollars off of Cameron.

Chase was furious.

But not because Joey had cleaned him out.

And it wasn't because of the incredibly vulgar things that Joey had said to him about Sophie and Cameron.

Cameron, still sitting next to him at the table, could feel Chase's anger seething beneath the surface as his fingers idly stroked the green felt table- top.

"…Chase," Cameron began tentatively.

"What?" Chase answered flatly, not looking at her.

Cameron exhaled at his brusque demeanor.

"I'm… sorry you had to hear all that," Cameron said apologetically.

At this, Chase snapped his head up at Cameron with an irritated look on his face.

"You're sorry? Why? Did _YOU_ say all those things?" Chase asked in a clipped tone.

"No… I'm just—" Cameron began.

"Stop apologizing for everyone. It's annoying," Chase said curtly as he got up from the table.

He then headed over to House, Wilson's, Cuddy's and Debbie's table a few feet away. He immediately saw that Sophie wasn't with them as they were engaged in a hand of poker.

"Where's Sophie?" Chase demanded of all of them, causing them to look up at him from their game.

"She went to get some air. Why?" Wilson asked.

Without bothering to ask if she had told them exactly where she was going, Chase stormed off away from them.

Cameron had finally come up to the table and watched Chase leave with a heavy heart.

"What happened?" House asked her.

"Joey said some pretty awful things…" Cameron said, trailing off.

House tilted his head, intrigued.

"Don't kite my checks while I'm gone," House said to Wilson.

House then got up from the table, leaving his chips behind and headed off after Chase, leaving the rest of them to watch in confusion. 

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

After hunting all over the casino for Sophie for the next twenty minutes, Chase had finally found her.

She was sitting just outside the entrance to the casino in front of the valet parking station on a bench. Chase could see her through the automatic sliding glass doors of the entrance way.

He went through the doors and headed outside. Sophie was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even see Chase until he was standing right next to her.

"No coat?" Chase asked her lightly.

Sophie turned her head around to face Chase, at first startled by his sudden presence. But then she shrugged and turned back to watch the cars drive up to the casino and various valets take the keys from the hotel guests that were exiting them.

"It's up in the room," Sophie replied.

Chase sat down next to her on the bench.

"When were you gonna tell me who he was?" Chase asked with a stoic expression on his face.

"How much did he take off you?" Sophie asked, not looking at him.

"Six hundred off me and four hundred off Cameron," Chase replied.

Sophie nodded. "Sorry I wasn't there to help," she mumbled.

"How much of a cut are you getting from that?" Chase asked her.

Sophie spun her head towards Chase, her eyes nearly popping out of her head in shock.

"You think we were working together?!" Sophie asked incredulously.

Chase shrugged. "You have in the past, and Joey didn't seem too thrilled when you left the table before we started to play," he replied.

Sophie laughed in complete disgust and shook her head.

"You don't know anything," she stated.

"So enlighten me. Why didn't you tell me who he was?" Chase asked again.

"You ever think maybe it was because I was _ANGRY_ at you because you're having _CAMERON_ stay over after your surgery to be your private nurse?!" Sophie demanded.

Chase grunted in exasperation. "Sophie…"

"Did you already buy her an sexy little outfit to wear?" Sophie demanded sarcastically.

"We've been over this. You shouldn't have to miss school—" Chase began.

"_WE_ haven't been over this and I don't _CARE_ about school!" Sophie exclaimed.

"If you want to stay in the top five percent of your class, then I suggest you should care," Chase replied.

"You know what I mean," Sophie stated, not liking his casual tone.

"It'll take at least two to three weeks for me to recover from the procedure. And that's assuming that it goes well!" Chase stated. "You can't miss that much time!"

"And you'd rather have Cameron take care of you than me?" Sophie demanded.

At this, Chase didn't say anything. He continued to stare into her eyes, not sure of how to continue.

"Are you still in love with her?" Sophie asked.

"I already told you that he isn't," House suddenly said from behind them.

Both Chase and Sophie turned to see that House had joined them outside and was leaning against the concrete wall, manipulating his cane in his hand.

"House, not now," Chase muttered.

"And like I said, he doesn't give a damn about your work," House continued, limping towards them.

"So then what it is?" Sophie asked, losing her patience.

"He's pushing you out of his life," House declared, staring at Chase intently.

Chase froze like a deer in headlights. His throat went dry.

Sophie laughed in disbelief.

"Yeah, right," she said sarcastically, turning towards Chase expecting to see a similar look on his face.

But Chase was staring back at House, his eyes locked on the older man.

"You told her not to stay with you during and after the surgery because in case something goes wrong, she doesn't have to be _MISERABLE_, stay with you out of guilt and then eventually leave you," House told Chase bluntly.

A wave of uneasiness overcame Sophie as she noticed that Chase hadn't replied in any way to House's accusations.

"…He's _RIGHT_?" Sophie said in a small voice.

Chase swallowed, still not saying anything.

He then felt Sophie place her hand on his arm.

"Honey, you're just a little scared—" Sophie began gently.

"Of COURSE I'M SCARED! I'M _PETRIFIED_!" Chase exclaimed out of nowhere, making Sophie jump in her seat.

A few hotel guests that were walking towards the entrance turned at the sound of Chase's exclamation.

House nodded almost imperceptibly as a calm appeared on his face at Chase's admition.

"Either they're gonna find out that the tumor's malignant and they'll _PARALYZE_ me while they're trying to extract it or they're gonna leave it in and I'll be in _PAIN_ for the rest of my life! Why shouldn't I be scared?!" Chase demanded, his voice cracking.

Sophie took a breath to collect herself, still a little taken aback by Chase's outburst.

"…And you really want to go through that alone?" she asked him.

"I _AM_ going through this alone," Chase stated flatly.

"No. You're _NOT_," Sophie said firmly.

"Didn't realize you were licensed to perform surgery in your third year of med school," Chase snarked.

"You think if you act like _HIM_ I'm gonna go away?" Sophie demanded angrily, jutting her chin at House.

House smiled a tiny smile at Sophie's dig.

But Sophie didn't notice it.

She still couldn't believe that Chase was telling her the truth.

"…You really want me out of your life?" Sophie managed to say, her lower lip quivering slightly.

"_WHAT_ life?" Chase said, barely above a whisper, looking down at the ground.

Sophie's lips parted, finally realizing that Chase had been hiding his true feelings from her since he had found out about the tumor in his ankle.

"Robbie…" Sophie said softly.

"You don't need this. You have your whole career and your life in front of you," Chase said to her.

"_MY_ life?" Sophie said.

Chase looked up from the ground and met Sophie's adoring, yet incredibly sad gaze.

"Robbie… you _ARE_ my life," Sophie said sincerely, barely able to get the words out.

"You've only known me for a few months. I'm not your life," Chase stated coldly, his eyes completely devoid of emotion.

Sophie felt like she was slapped in the face by Chase's comment.

She could swear that she felt something break inside her.

Even House raised his eyebrows, truly surprised by Chase's cold response towards her.

As Chase looked at her lovely face and saw that her eyes were brimming with tears, he knew that her heart was breaking.

So much of him wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her that he didn't mean any of it and that it was all going to be ok.

But he knew that that wasn't true.  

"…I'm sorry… I didn't tell you who Joey was," Sophie whispered, holding back her tears.

She then got up from the bench and went back into the casino, roughly brushing her tears away with the back of her hand.

Chase couldn't even watch her go.

Because something inside him had broken, too. 

---------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few moments after Sophie had left, Chase and House were still outside by the valet station.

"Wow. _THAT_ was awkward," House stated mockingly.

"Nobody invited you to watch," Chase muttered in disgust.

"But I _LIKE_ to watch," House said.

"What do you want from me?!" Chase demanded.

"I want you to stop acting like an _IDIOT_!" House shot back.

"She doesn't need this. She's got enough to deal with in school—" Chase began.

"Oh SHUT UP!" House yelled.

"Not everything in life always goes the way you want it to! Shit happens! You don't just give up—" House began.

"Yeah, you're the _PERFECT_ person to be telling me this right now! You pushed everyone out of your life that cared about you!" Chase yelled back.

"And you want to be like me?! Is that what this is about? Some warped version of hero- worship?" House demanded.

Chase inhaled sharply. "Stacy left you after your leg," he said.

"Stacy didn't love me like Sophie loves you," House stated in a low voice.

"Do you see the way she looks at you? The way she touches you?" House asked him.

Chase nodded sadly, feeling his eyes well up.

"She _ADORES_ you. You're _EVERYTHING_ to her, which is why she got jealous when you told Cameron it would be ok to help you out after the surgery, you idiot. She'd NEVER leave you!" House stated.

"And I adore her, too," Chase said softly, pausing before continuing.

"Which is why I can't put her through this," he added. 

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

For the last several minutes, Wilson had been frantically looking around the casino for Chase, House and Sophie, hoping that House wasn't making a most- likely bad situation worse.

When he finally rounded a corner, he saw Sophie was at a desk, filling out some type of a form. There was a line of men waiting behind her as she did so.

He looked up above the desk and saw a sign that read:

**"MOHEGAN SUN AMATEUR POKER TOURNAMENT.**

**FIRST PRIZE: $200,000**

**INQUIRE FOR OTHER PAY- OUTS,"**

"What are you doing?" Wilson demanded.

"What does it look like? I'm registering for the tournament," Sophie replied, as she handed in her registration form along with the cash entry fee of two- thousand dollars to the woman sitting at the desk.

After she had done so, Wilson grabbed her arm and pulled her off the line, out of earshot of the other people around them.

"The same tournament that Joey's in?" Wilson hissed.

Sophie looked into Wilson's eyes, which were slightly red from crying earlier.

Her facial expression was completely blank.

"I'm not gonna let you help him hustle a tournament at a casino!" Wilson stated in a hushed whisper.

"The only reason why I didn't sign up for this in the first place is because I promised Robbie that I'd never play cards with Joey again," Sophie said, in a somewhat detached manner.

Wilson furrowed his eyebrows, not sure where she was going with this, and not liking her emotionless tone in her voice.

Sophie shrugged.

"And now I don't have a reason to keep that promise," she added in a raspy voice.

TBC…


	44. Chapter 42

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS!! I RESPONDED TO ALL OF THEM!!**

**AND HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

************************************************************ **

**CHAPTER 42: Please read and comment.**

"Not everything in life always goes the way you want it to! Sh1t happens! You don't just give up—" House began.

"Yeah, you're the PERFECT person to be telling me this right now! You pushed everyone out of your life that cared about you!" Chase yelled back.

"And you want to be like me?! Is that what this is about? Some warped version of hero- worship?" House demanded.

Chase inhaled sharply. "Stacy left you after your leg," he said.

"Stacy didn't love me like Sophie loves you," House stated in a low voice.

"Do you see the way she looks at you? The way she touches you?" House asked him.

Chase nodded sadly, feeling his eyes well up.

"She ADORES you. You're EVERYTHING to her, which is why she got jealous when you told Cameron it would be ok to help you out after the surgery, you idiot. She'd NEVER leave you!" House stated.

"And I adore her, too," Chase said softly, pausing before continuing.

"Which is why I can't put her through this," he added.

"You're a lousy liar, Chase," Cuddy said.

Upon hearing Cuddy's voice, both House and Chase turned towards her, both visibly surprised to see her standing outside by the sliding glass doors of the entrance to the casino.

"You're not pushing Sophie away because you don't want to make her miserable," Cuddy began as she took a few steps towards them.

"You're pushing her away because you're afraid that you're not going to be able to have the kind of life with her that you planned," Cuddy explained.

"You're afraid that you'll never be able to take her on that snowboarding trip that you were supposed to go on over Christmas… that you'll never be able to take long walks with her…" she continued.

"…And that you'll never be able to carry her over the threshold after you marry her," Cuddy said.

By now, Chase had taken his eyes off her and was looking at the ground, his heart aching tremendously at the truth in her words.

"And that if you can't do those things… you think that somehow makes you less of a man in her eyes," Cuddy said.

Chase, still looking at the ground, nodded sadly.

"But it DOESN'T," Cuddy stated.

Chase finally looked up at her, his blue- green eyes even more glassy than before.

"She deserves better than having to take care of a cripple or a drug addict for the rest of her life," Chase said in a raspy tone.

Cuddy sat down on the bench next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Trust me when I tell you that she doesn't see you that way," Cuddy told him firmly.

"And she never will," she added.

"… How do you know that?" Chase asked forlornly.

Cuddy smiled, her own eyes beginning to well up with tears at how pitiful and sad Chase looked.

"Three guesses," she said with a chuckle.

Chase glanced at House, who was still standing next to both of them, watching their entire conversation without saying a word.

"Do you really want her out of your life?" Cuddy asked him.

Chase shook his head. "…No, of course not," he managed to say.

"But after what I just said to her, she'll never take me back," Chase whispered.

"Yes she will," Cuddy assured him as she rubbed his shoulder affectionately.

"Now go find her," Cuddy told him.

Chase nodded and exhaled hard. He then got off the bench and went back inside the casino to go look for Sophie.

After Chase had left, Cuddy turned back to House with a sweet, loving smile on her face.

Yet House was gazing at her curiously.

"How long were you standing there?" House asked her.

"Long enough to realize that you can still surprise me by being a human being once in a while," Cuddy replied.

She then caressed the scruff on House's cheek with her palm and gazed into his bright blue eyes.

"And that you really DO care about Chase," she added.

"Don't tell Wilson. He'll never shut up," House said.

Cuddy laughed and brushed the few tears off her cheeks that had somehow managed to escape.

"You're crying," House commented.

"I'm a sucker for romance. Sue me," Cuddy replied.

House tilted his head, now more curious than ever.

"You hungry?" House asked suddenly.

Cuddy scrunched up her face in confusion over the complete randomness of House's

"…Yeah… kind of," Cuddy said tentatively.

"Great. Let's go eat," House said as he walked past her back into the casino.

Cuddy, still incredibly confused, followed him back through the doors inside. 

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"I'm not gonna let you help him hustle a tournament at a casino!" Wilson stated in a hushed whisper to Sophie.

"The only reason why I didn't sign up for this in the first place is because I promised Robbie that I'd never play cards with Joey again," Sophie said, in a somewhat detached manner.

Wilson furrowed his eyebrows, not sure where she was going with this, and not liking her emotionless tone in her voice.

Sophie shrugged.

"And now I don't have a reason to keep that promise," she added in a raspy voice.

"What does that mean?" Wilson demanded.

Sophie exhaled slowly, trying not to cry again.

"…Robbie broke up with me," she finally said.

Wilson shook his head in bewilderment.

"Because… Joey sat down with you at the table?" Wilson asked.

Sophie shook her head and walked towards a nearby cluster of Slot machines. She sat down at an empty one and rubbed her forehead in aggravation.

"He said I've only known him for a few months… and that I don't need to be a part of what's going on with his leg," Sophie mumbled.

Wilson pursed his lips together and sat down in the empty seat next to her. He leaned his elbow on the machine and faced her.

"Chase loves you. He's scared. He's not thinking clearly," Wilson said.

Sophie nodded, but didn't say anything as she absentmindedly looked at the odds and payouts printed on the machine, not really focusing on them.

"Don't give up on him," Wilson said.

"I didn't. He gave up on me," Sophie said in a small voice.

"He just… wants you to be happy," Wilson continued.

"I'm happy with HIM," Sophie stated.

"He doesn't think you will be if this procedure isn't successful," Wilson explained.

Sophie turned towards her brother with a sad and tired look on her face.

"Then he really doesn't know me at all, does he?" Sophie said in the same meek voice.

Wilson, now very concerned at the defeatist attitude his sister seemed to be taking, decided to be a little more firm with her.

"So since he broke up with you, you decided that the logical thing to do was to help your ex hustle a poker tournament?" he asked her.

Sophie just shrugged.

"If you do this, and you get caught—" Wilson began to warn her.

"She won't get caught," a male voice said from behind them.

Both Sophie and Wilson turned around to see Joey was standing behind them with a tiny smirk on his face.

He had heard their entire conversation.

He then took the other empty seat next to Sophie at the adjacent slot machine, and draped his arm over the back of her chair.

"Because we're gonna make it look good," Joey stated confidently.

"Right?" Joey added, staring pointedly at Sophie.

Sophie turned towards Joey and nodded.

Her face was almost blank.

"Sophie, you don't have to do this," Wilson stated adamantly.

Sophie turned back to her brother. Her usual bright brown eyes were completely devoid of any feeling.

"Yes I do," she said flatly. 

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By now, House and Cuddy had made their way over to the cluster of restaurants that were located near the casino.

"So what are you in the mood for?" House asked her.

Cuddy shrugged. "Anything, I guess," she stated.

"How about some ice cream?" House offered, pointing at the Ben and Jerry's stand with his cane.

"Sure. Why not?" Cuddy said. 

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A little while later, House and Cuddy were sitting at a small table at the Ben and Jerry's stand, eating their ice cream.

"This is _really_ good," Cuddy said with great pleasure in her voice as she continued to eat her double cone of Mint Chocolate Cookie.

House took a generous lick from his Chocolate Macadamia cone and nodded.

"Of course it is. It's sugar," House stated.

Cuddy raised her eyebrows in definite agreement as she licked the ice cream off her lips.

"And your body was craving it," House added.

At this, Cuddy rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Greg, I'm not pregnant," Cuddy stated.

"I know you're not pregnant," House replied.

"Then why—" Cuddy began.

"You're _OVULATING_," House said, his eyes dancing with excitement as they locked with hers.

Cuddy stared back at him, genuinely taken aback.

"That's… IMPOSSIBLE. I counted from my last period—" Cuddy began.

"Then you made a mistake when you counted," House told her.

"You broke your ban on sugar, you're weepy and you lost your temper with Wilson. That plus the fact that your hormones are all screwed up—" House said.

"My hormones are NOT screwed up!" Cuddy argued vehemently.

"You missed a period, remember?" House interrupted her.

For a second, Cuddy didn't respond.

Then a look of complete epiphany appeared on her face.

Still holding her ice cream cone in one hand, she grabbed House's hand with the other and dragged him out of his seat.

"Let's go," she commanded.

TBC…


	45. Chapter 43

**HI EVERYONE!**

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**CHAPTER 43: Please read and comment.**

A few moments later, Cuddy pulled House into their hotel room.

Cuddy had already finished her ice cream cone, but House was still eating his.

Cuddy immediately took it from him and tossed it in a garbage can that was near the bed.

"You owe me half an ice- cream," House stated.

"After this, I'll buy you all the ice cream you want," Cuddy replied as she quickly peeled her pink t- shirt over her head and tossed it on the floor.

House licked his lips as he gazed at Cuddy, clad only in a blush- colored lacy bra, displaying her perky breasts and tantalizing cleavage.

"Works for me," House replied.

Cuddy grabbed House's hand and pulled him down on top of her onto the bed.

He immediately and eagerly devoured her neck with his mouth as he reached up to fondle one of her breasts, and pressed his now semi- hard cock shaft against her.

Cuddy wasted no time as she immediately wriggled her hand in between their bodies and began to unzip his jeans. She slipped her hand underneath his boxers, making him gasp.

She was delighted to see that he was by now almost fully erect.

She then began to pull his jeans down off his hips when he grabbed her hands to stop her, pulling them up over her head and pinning them down to the bed.

"No foreplay?" he asked teasingly, his eyes dancing with excitement.

"Like you care," Cuddy replied sexily.

"Like you _DON'T_," House answered back.

"I don't. Now hurry up," Cuddy ordered him, trying to wiggle her hands out of his grasp.

But House refused to let her go.

Instead, he held both her wrists above her head with his right and slowly pulled down her blush lacy bra off her breast.

He then traced her erect nipple with the tip of his tongue, slowly closing his lips around it.

Cuddy whimpered at the touch of his lips and tongue on her breast, as the pleasure shot straight to her core. Upon hearing this, House took his mouth off her breast and shot her a knowing look.

"Everybody lies," he said in a gruff voice.

"Oh shut up," Cuddy retorted.

Leaving her bra peeled down, he continued to suckle her as he reached down to the button of her jeans. He slowly worked the button and zipper open, tracing the outside of her silk panties with his fingertips, making her squirm beneath him.

"You're already wet," House told her against her breast as he stroked the front of her panties.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Cuddy replied in a breathy voice.

"You know what gets me off the most?" House asked her.

Cuddy shook her head, desperately wanting him to shut up and continue his lovely ministrations.

"Knowing that I can get _YOU_ off by barely touching you," House replied.

"You could always do that," Cuddy assured him.

House nodded. "That was the right answer," he said.

He then kissed her passionately as he slipped his fingers beneath her panties, finding her wet and more than ready.

She moaned into his mouth desperately as they kissed.

Finding her sweet spot, he began to move his fingertip in tight, little circles, causing her thighs to quiver at his touch. Every so often, he would slip his fingers inside her just to hear her cry out any unintelligible sound he could make her utter.

His erection became even harder when he saw in her face how much pleasure he was giving her.

Knowing she was just near the edge, he stopped fingering her, making her groan in protest.

He then pulled off his jeans as she quickly shrugged out of hers.

His lust for her taking over his senses, House then completely ripped off her blush lacy panties, causing her to shriek in delight.

"I've always wanted to do that to you," House confessed.

"What took you so long?" she said as she spread her legs for him.

He lay down on top of her and entered her forcefully, causing her to cry out.

He thrust in and out of her deeply, feeling his cock become even harder as her breasts bounced slightly and as her inner muscles tightened around him.

"_Don't_ _stop_," she begged.

"Oh _god_…" House managed to say as he thrust even deeper into her.

She thrust back against him in a frenetic rhythm as she felt her orgasm completely envelop her.

Feeling her muscles clamp down around him, he couldn't hold back any longer. He exploded inside her with a force that took ever ounce of strength out of him.

After they rode out their orgasms, completely spent, he flopped down on the bed next to her. Slowly, their breathing began to relax.

"We are not young anymore," House said, closing his eyes and exhaling hard.

Cuddy swatted his chest. "Speak for yourself, old man," she replied.

Lazily, House turned towards her and smirked.

"So where's my ice cream?" House asked her.

"There's a phone on the night stand. Call room service," Cuddy replied, her eyes closing as well.

House glanced at Cuddy and laughed out loud.

Cuddy grinned back at him and chuckled in kind as he reached over for the hotel phone and pressed the speed dial for room service.  ******************************************************* 

At around the same time, Sophie was sitting at a table in the back of Lucky's Lounge with Joey. He was going over their strategy for the tournament, which was starting in less than three hours.

But Sophie, her mind still reeling from Chase breaking up with her, was only half listening to him.

"Look, I know you're upset about blondie dumping you, but you gotta get over it," Joey said bluntly, snapping her out of her haze.

"Why? Because you say I should?" Sophie demanded bitingly as she turned towards Joey.  

"Because this is _BUSINESS_," Joey stated. "Now let's go over it again."

"We can't signal. It'll be too obvious," Sophie mumbled.

Joey glared at her in irritation. "Then what do you suggest?" he asked.

"I say we just play on our belly and whoever takes the house gives a cut to the other," Sophie said with a tired shrug.

Joey leaned over across the table and arched his eyebrow.

"Well where's the fun in that?" Joey asked.

"I thought you said this was business?" Sophie reminded him, not liking the way he was looking at her.

"…It could be more," Joey suggested.

"It _ISN'T_," Sophie stated firmly.

"Figure out where you're sleeping tonight yet?" Joey asked.

An uncomfortable chill went through her body at Joey's question.

She had been so upset about Chase ending their relationship that she hadn't even considered how it would affect their sleeping arrangements in the hotel that night.

"Because I can't imagine that after your tearful break up that he'd want to share a bed with you," Joey said in a low voice, his eyes penetrating hers.

He then dug into his front pocket and tossed his extra card key across the table at her.

"I'm in room 618 if you're interested," Joey told her.

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Almost an hour later, Chase was trudging miserably down the hallway towards his and Sophie's room.

He had scoured the entire hotel for her, but he hadn't been able to find her anywhere.

He hadn't taken any of his Vicodin since that morning, and his ankle was throbbing mercilessly.

Once he reached the door to their hotel room, he dug his pills out of his pocket, swallowed two of them dry, inserted the card key into the lock and opened the door.

When he opened the door, he was incredibly surprised, thrilled and confused to see Sophie taking her clothes out of the hotel dresser and placing them in her suitcase, which was on the bed.

She hadn't even noticed that he had opened the door.

"Sophie?" Chase said softly, so as not to startle her.

Sophie turned around towards the direction of Chase's voice. Upon seeing him, she could feel her heart hammering inside her.

But she merely turned back to her suitcase and continued packing.

"What are you doing?" Chase asked her.

"What does it look like? I'm packing," Sophie replied coolly.

"...You're leaving?" Chase asked her in the same soft tone.

"Cameron said I can stay with her tonight," Sophie explained.

"You can stay here. I'm not kicking you out," Chase told her as he moved closer to her.

"Why? So you can fuck me one more time before you cut me loose?" Sophie demanded angrily.

Chase was truly stunned by her question. For a moment, he couldn't even respond.

"…You actually think I would do something like that?" Chase asked her.

"I never thought you'd want to get rid of me, so who knows _what_ you would do?" Sophie asked.

Chase was about to tell her that he loved her and that he didn't want to get rid of her when she took Chase's grey sweatshirt that he had given her months ago out of her suitcase and tossed it at his chest.

"Here's your sweatshirt," Sophie stated bluntly as he caught it clumsily.

Chase finally walked over to the bed, closing the distance between them. He placed the sweatshirt on top of her open suitcase.

"I don't want it back," Chase stated.

"If I'm gonna get over you, then I need to get rid of everything that reminds me of you," Sophie explained to him, her voice full of hurt.

Chase then closed the lid of her suitcase. He took her hands in his and stared deeply into her eyes.

"I don't want you to get over me, because I don't want you to leave," Chase said sincerely.

At first, Sophie just stared at him blankly.

But then a curt laugh of disgust escaped her lips.

"You son of a bitch," Sophie spat out, shaking her head, causing Chase's lips to part slightly in shock.

"You think you can say all of that and then just take it back and expect me to pretend it never happened?!" Sophie demanded.

"I… wasn't… thinking clearly—" Chase stammered.

"Yes you _WERE_," Sophie stated firmly, ripping her hands out of his.

"You weren't planning on breaking up with me this weekend. You were gonna take your sweet time and gradually push me out of your life after the surgery," Sophie told him.

Chase swallowed nervously.

"But then House revealed your little plan and ruined it for you, so you had no choice but to do it now," Sophie continued in the same bitter tone.

Chase then closed his eyes and looked away from her, completely ashamed of himself.

Sophie laughed again curtly and nodded her head, knowing that she was dead right.

"What I just can't figure out is what I did wrong," Sophie said, as she continued to pack her suitcase.

At this, Chase did a double- take.

"You didn't do _ANYTHING_ wrong!" Chase stated.

"I must have done _SOMETHING_, because you obviously thought that I wouldn't want to stick around if the surgery didn't go your way," Sophie replied.

"…I just didn't think you'd want a life where you'd be condemned to taking care of me," Chase said meekly.

"That's not what you thought," Sophie said, turning back towards him.

"You thought I'd see you as less of a man and that I'd stop loving you if you couldn't walk or if you became dependent on pills," Sophie told him, her eyes penetrating his.

Chase was amazed at how Sophie was able to see right through him.

"…You're right," Chase admitted, never breaking his gaze with hers.

"Well then you don't know _ME_ and you don't know what love is," Sophie told him evenly.

Chase felt a wave of uneasiness overtake him.

Because she was absolutely right.

He had never expected her to be as understanding as she was about his Vicodin use and the fact that he had gone to rehab. He had automatically assumed that she would be disappointed or angry in him.

But she never was.

He took her hands once more and pulled her down with him so they could sit on the bed together. At first, Sophie resisted, but then she gave up and sunk down next to him. He gently brushed a few stray locks of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"Remember when I planned for us to go snowboarding over Christmas?" Chase asked her.

She nodded glumly. Chase paused slightly before continuing, knowing that it was going to be difficult for him to say what he wanted to say to her.

"…After next week… we'll probably _NEVER_ be able to do that," Chase said with difficulty.

"You honestly think I cared if we _EVER_ went snowboarding?" Sophie asked him incredulously.

"It's more than that. We probably won't even be able to take long walks together—" Chase continued sadly.

"So we would have taken long drives together," Sophie replied simply.

Chase exhaled deeply. "Sweetie, you don't understand what I'm trying to say," he said in frustration.

"Then explain it to me," Sophie said, her voice softening.

"I just… want us to have a real life together. A _NORMAL_ life. You shouldn't have to take care of me. This isn't the way it's supposed to be," Chase said as his voice began to crack.

"That's what you do when you love someone. You take care of them," Sophie replied.

"And there _IS_ no normal, and there is no 'supposed- to,'" Sophie stressed.

With that, Sophie got up from the bed and continued to pack her suitcase. Still sitting on the bed, Chase placed his hands on her hips, pulling her towards him and leaned his forehead against her stomach.

"Please don't go," Chase begged her softly.

Sophie pressed her lips together to stop them from quivering.

"You hurt me so much," Sophie whispered back.

"I know, and I'm sorry," Chase said as he looked up at her.

"But I can't imagine my life without you," he added.

Sophie, unable to bear the sorrowful look in his beautiful blue- green eyes, looked away from him as he continued to hold her hips.

"Just tell me what I have to say or do to make things right and I'll do it," Chase promised her.

Sophie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She then took his hands off her hips.

"I shouldn't have to tell you what to say or what to do," Sophie told him, barely above a whisper.

And with that, she zipped up her suitcase, picked it up off the bed and left Chase in their hotel room alone. 

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**TWO HOURS LATER: MOHEGAN SUN POKER ROOM.**

Wilson, Debbie and Cameron were standing behind a sectioned off area among other spectators in the Mohegan Sun Poker Room when House and Cuddy walked up to them.

"What's going on?" Cuddy asked Wilson.

Wilson turned around briefly to see House and Cuddy standing behind them.

"Sophie's playing in the tournament," Wilson replied as he turned back to look at Sophie.

Wearing a pair of low rise dark jeans, an army- green scoop neck tank top and a pair of black heels, Sophie was casually chatting among a group of other registered players in the tournament as they were all waiting for the officials to announce the start time.

Wilson noted that while Joey was standing on the opposite end of the room, talking to other players, he kept glancing at her from afar.

"Cool," House said.

"Where have you guys been? I called your cell a few times," Wilson asked them.

"I know. I ignored it," House replied simply.

"We were just… getting ice cream," Cuddy replied vaguely.

"For _THREE_ _HOURS_?" Cameron asked, her eyebrow arched in disbelief.

Cuddy and House exchanged quick glances before turning back to Cameron.

"It was Ben and Jerry's," House replied as if that explained everything.

As Cameron furrowed her brow in confusion, Chase entered the poker room.

Upon spotting his colleagues, he walked up to them and stood next to Cameron. Cameron gave him a sympathetic smile.

"…I told Sophie she could stay with me tonight," Cameron told Chase softly.

"I know," Chase replied quietly as his eyes quickly found Sophie in the crowd.

"She's actually gonna help this guy Joey cheat?" Debbie asked Wilson quietly.

Wilson shrugged in disappointment. "I guess so," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out between you two," Cameron said to Chase.

Chase briefly glanced at Cameron before turning his attention back to where Sophie was standing.

"Excuse me," Chase suddenly said as he walked away from Cameron and the rest of them as he made his way through the crowd of spectators.

He walked up to one of the casino security guards who was standing in front of the velvet rope barrier that was being used to keep the spectators away from the players in the tournament.

"I need to speak to my girlfriend," Chase told the security guard as he attempted to walk past him.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but you can't go in there. The tournament's starting in a few minutes," the security guard stated, placing his hand lightly on Chase's chest.

Chase glanced down at the man's hand on his chest and then looked at him square in his eyes.

"No? Watch me," Chase stated as he breezed past him.

The security guard took his walkie- talkie off his belt and began to speak into it as Chase strode right up to Sophie. Sophie had already spotted him enter the players' area and began to walk towards him.

"Robbie, you have to go. They're gonna get security—" she began.

"Sophie, you don't have to do this," Chase interrupted her.

"I know what I'm doing," Sophie told him firmly.

"Yeah, _Robbie_. She knows what she's doing," Joey suddenly said from behind them as he saddled up next to Sophie.

Chase glared at him briefly before turning his attention back to her. As he did, the security guard walked up to him accompanied by another larger security guard.

"I'm sorry sir. I have to ask you to leave," the larger of the two men stated curtly to Chase.

"Just give me a minute," Chase asked them. He then turned back to Sophie before the two of them could respond.

"Sophie you were right. You shouldn't have to tell me what to say to make things right between us," Chase began.

"And I know I don't deserve a second chance," he added.

"But I also know that you don't really want to leave me," he continued.

Sophie stiffened, refusing to soften at his pleading expression.

"Give me one reason why I should stay," Sophie stated.

At that moment, Chase closed his eyes and slowly got down on his knees, wincing visibly as a tremendous pain in his ankle shot up his leg as he did so.

Sophie was speechless as she watched him, her lips parting in shock.

By now, the other players and the spectators were all watching him as well.

"Because I want to take long drives with you," Chase answered as he looked up at her with adoring eyes, ignoring the incessant throbbing in his leg.

"Robbie, get up before you put too much strain on your ankle," Sophie said, trying to hide her embarrassment at his actions.

"Because I want to watch every old horror movie with you that you love," he continued, remaining in his kneeling position on the ground as he took both her hands firmly in his.

"Because I already cleaned out my closet for you when you transfer schools and move in with me. Because I want us to come home to each other every night. Because I want your cotton bras and panties to get mixed in with my laundry. Because I want to make love to you _for the rest of my life_," Chase said.

Several people in the crowd began to chuckle and hoot at Chase's words, while the blush on Sophie's cheeks began to deepen.

But Chase remained on the ground, his eyes locked with hers.

"Because I'm completely willing to embarrass myself in front of all these people to convince you to come back to me," Chase stated.

Sophie couldn't help but laugh a little at that. Her face began to soften as a tiny smile appeared on her features. Chase held her hands tighter.

"_And because my heart has always been waiting for you_…" he continued, his voice breaking, full of sincerity and emotion.

Sophie gasped quietly as her heart swelled inside her.

"And I'll keep chasing you until you change your mind," Chase finally finished.

Upon hearing this, Cameron felt a tiny twinge of heartache inside her. She looked down slightly at the carpet.

And House noticed.

"That's nine reasons," Sophie said, as her eyes began to fill with tears.

"If you take me back, I'll think of a hundred more," Chase promised.

As the crowd waited on baited breath for Sophie's response, she sniffed and wiped her eyes with her fingertips.

"Get up," she told Chase as she pulled him up off the floor.

"You're such a jerk," Sophie told him with a little laugh as the tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

"I know," Chase agreed.

Sophie then pulled Chase roughly towards her and kissed him with incredible passion in the middle of the poker room.

Chase wound his arms around her back and returned her kiss with great enthusiasm. Both of them were oblivious to the cat- calls, whistles and applause around them.

Wilson couldn't help but grin at the two of them.

When Chase and Sophie finally broke off their kiss, Sophie moved her mouth towards Chase's ear.

"Now get out of here so I can clean out this leather- ass once and for all," Sophie whispered.

Chase pulled back away from her with widened eyes.

Sophie merely smirked back at him.

"You were never gonna help him, were you?" Chase whispered to her.

"Nope," Sophie said with a tiny grin.

Chase then grinned back at her and finally left the players area to join House, Cuddy, Wilson, Debbie and Cameron once again. The tournament officials then announced for all players to go to their assigned seats and tables.

"Are you ready now, princess?" Joey said in annoyance.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Sophie replied lightly, turning towards him.

"Hope you're wearing a cup," she told him before walking away from him to her assigned table across the room.

TBC…


	46. Chapter 44

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**CHAPTER 44: Please read and comment.**

"Now get out of here so I can clean out this asshole once and for all," Sophie whispered.

Chase pulled back away from her with widened eyes.

Sophie merely smirked back at him.

"You were never gonna help him, were you?" Chase whispered to her.

"Nope," Sophie said with a tiny grin.

Chase then grinned back at her and finally left the players area to join House, Cuddy, Wilson, Debbie and Cameron once again. The tournament officials then announced for all players to go to their assigned seats and tables.

"Are you ready now, princess?" Joey said in annoyance.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Sophie replied lightly, turning towards him.

"Hope you're wearing a cup," she told him before walking away from him to her assigned table across the room.

As Sophie took her assigned seat at a table with three other players, Chase went back behind the velvet rope and found a place to stand between Cuddy and Wilson. As he did, a few people behind him clasped him on the shoulder in a friendly manner and bumped their fists with him.

Chase could see that Cuddy had tears in her eyes and was smiling.

"That was so beautiful," Cuddy said to him with a sniff, causing Chase to smile.

"No it wasn't. It was _LAME_," House announced from his position standing next to Cuddy.

"Shut up. It was sweet," Cuddy retorted.

"Don't expect me to get down on my knees—" House began.

"Like you could even if you wanted to?" Cuddy snarked with a sly grin.

"Keep talking like that and I won't give you any more _'ice cream,'_" House said to her in a low, yet meaningful tone.

"I can always _'s__erve'_ myself," Cuddy quipped coyly.

House rolled his eyes and focused on the players getting ready to start the tournament.

"Hey, if you're not prepared to look stupid, then nothing great is ever gonna happen, right?" Chase asked Cuddy and Debbie with a playful shrug.

"Right," Debbie agreed with a grin.

"So you're saying that if I do something that makes me look stupid…" Wilson began to Debbie.

"You'll get lucky, yes," Debbie replied as she squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek.

Wilson chuckled and turned his attention back to the game.

But his smile faded and was replaced by a worried look when he saw Sophie sit down and receive two- thousand dollars in chips from the dealer.

"Relax. She's not gonna help him cheat," Chase said in a low voice to Wilson.

Wilson raised his eyebrow with interest.

"She tell you something?" he whispered to Chase.

"I have a feeling that Joey's gonna be down to the felt by the end of this," Chase said in a conspiratorial tone.

"'_DOWN TO THE FELT_?'" Cameron repeated with sarcasm and an arched eyebrow from her position standing next to Debbie.

"It's a poker term. It means that you've lost all your chips," Chase explained with a shrug.

"He thinks he sounds cool by using it in casual conversation. He _DOESN'T_," House stated.

"I thought it was cool," Cuddy said with a grin.

"And so did I," Debbie agreed with a matching smile.

Chase grinned smugly at House, who snorted in disgust, in spite of the smile that was threatening to form on his lips.

But despite the fun that all of them were having, Cameron didn't smile in the least.

Without a word, she quietly walked away from the group and began to head over to the slot machine area. Everyone else was so focused on the tournament starting that they didn't even notice that Cameron had left.

Everyone except for House.

He followed her with his eyes as she disappeared somewhere among the slot machines and crowds of people among them.

"I'm gonna take some air," House said to Cuddy.

Cuddy turned to him in surprise.

"You're leaving NOW?" she asked him incredulous. "It's about to start!"

"This isn't gonna get interesting until Sophie and Joey eliminate the rest of these humps," House told her.

"…How do you know—" Cuddy began in bewilderment.

"Two pros, thirty- four amateurs. You do the math," House said before walking away from them.

Cuddy shrugged her shoulder and turned back to focus on the tournament.

As the players began their first round of bets, Debbie snaked her arm around Wilson's waist and moved her lips closer to his ear.

"So teach me some more poker terms," Debbie whispered sexily into Wilson's ear.

Wilson turned towards her, his eyebrows arched in extreme interest as his cock stirred in his pants. 

----------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few moments later, House found Cameron sitting at one of the twenty- five cent slot machines towards the rear of the casino. He sat down next to her in an empty seat.

"You know, the slots have the worst odds in the house," he said.

"Yeah, and I'm sure you limped away from the tournament to share your vast knowledge of casino statistics with me," Cameron said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

House leaned his elbow on the slot machine in front of him, his bright blue eyes boring into her.

But Cameron refused to turn in his direction as she continued to push the "**BET MAX CREDITS**" button in front of her.

"You want Chase back," House stated bluntly.

At this, Cameron turned her head towards him, her mouth agape and her eyes widened slightly, completely stunned at what he had just said.

"…He's… with Sophie," Cameron managed to stammer.

"You wanted him to get down on his knees and say all those sappy romantic things to _YOU_ instead of her, especially the part about how he'd keep chasing her until she agreed to come back to him," House continued.

Cameron, still caught off guard by House's observation, couldn't manage to look away from House's penetrating eyes.

"…You don't know what you're talking about," Cameron said in a soft voice, feeling her throat become dry suddenly.

"He stopped chasing you," House said.

Cameron swallowed as a horrible ache moved through her stomach and up her back towards her shoulders.

"And you went out with Stern after you and Chase broke up to fill the void in your life," he continued.

Cameron shook her head slightly in disagreement, but the lump that had formed in her throat wouldn't let any words come out.

"But after Stern didn't turn out to be the man of your _dreams_, you realize you made a huge mistake," House finally finished.

Cameron exhaled slightly to pull herself together.

"Why are you doing this?" Cameron asked weakly, somehow managing to find her voice once again.

"Why do I always do this?" House replied casually.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 

As the tournament finally got into full swing, it was blatantly obvious that House had been right.

Among the thirty- six players in the poker tournament, it was clear that the other thirty- four players were not anywhere near the same caliber player as Joey and Sophie.

As the two of them sat at their assigned tables at opposite ends of the room and continued to out- play their opponents hand after hand, the differences in their playing styles became evident.

Except for her constant tiny closed- lipped smile, Sophie's stoic and cool facial expression didn't reveal anything.

Regardless of the stakes and the cards dealt at each hand, she remained calm and focused throughout the game, only talking when she raised or called the bet, carefully scrutinizing the other players for any tells.

But Joey was full of theatrics.

He acted out overly- exaggerated fake tells that kept changing to throw his opponents off track, like playing with his chips and constantly re- stacking them, shifting his weight in his chair, twitching his mouth and raising his eyebrows randomly.

He also constantly speculated out loud to everyone at the table what the other players were holding.

"Can't you disqualify this guy or something?" One of the other players muttered in annoyance to the dealer, who was now down to his last five chips.

"He's not doing anything against the regs," the dealer replied with a shrug.

"Then I'm out," the player stated in disgust, tossing in his hole cards and walking away from the table, leaving his remaining chips unclaimed.

Joey snickered as the dealer promptly took away the abandoned cards and chips, signaling to the officials that the current hand was void.

In the meantime, Chase couldn't take his eyes off Sophie.

"She's like a machine," Chase commented in awe as she watched Sophie take another pot away from the table.

"Yep. She's got alligator blood," Wilson replied in agreement.

Wilson suddenly felt Debbie squeeze his ass, causing him to jump slightly. When he turned to her, he could see that her eyes were full of lust.

"The poker talk really turns you on, doesn't it?" Wilson asked her.

"Uh huh," she whispered to him seductively.

"You… wanna go back to the room?" Wilson suggested softly, hoping he didn't sound too eager.

"Not until after the game," Debbie replied, as her tongue darted out quickly to lick Wilson's earlobe. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

By the end of over two hours of game play, almost all of the players had been eliminated.

Except for two.

Sophie and Joey took their seats at a table in the middle of the room. The tournament officials had placed the racks of chips that they had won during play in front of them as a new dealer took her position at the curve at the head in the table.

Quite a few of the spectators had left, but Wilson, Debbie, Chase and Cuddy were still watching the tournament intently.

"Surprised to see me?" Joey asked her casually as he chewed on a toothpick that had been in his mouth throughout the tournament.

"Do I look surprised?" Sophie asked back, matching his casual tone as she took her chips out of the tray and began to arrange them in neat stacks.

Joey grinned as he manipulated the toothpick in his mouth with his teeth.

"Problem is that I won't be fooled by your fake tells," Sophie said lightly as she counted her chips.

Joey's grin broadened at her comment, as he became slightly aroused by the fact that she knew how he had eliminated the other players in the tournament without watching him play.

He leaned forward in his seat towards her.

"And I know your moves inside and out," Joey replied in a soft, coy, almost sexy voice.

Sophie looked up from her chips and met his eyes with her own, not rattled in the least by his bold statement.

"Really," Sophie stated in a non- committal tone.

"I've played with you long enough to know what tips you over the edge," Joey said, popping his eyebrows for effect.

Chase's eyebrow arched significantly upon hearing Joey's words.

Immediately realizing the double- entendre behind Joey's statement, Sophie leaned slightly forward.

"_You're not the only one who can fake a tell, Joey_," Sophie replied slyly.

Chase grinned tremendously as Wilson placed his hand on his forehead and began to rub it in aggravation.

"She did _NOT_ just say that," Wilson muttered.

"She sure did," Chase said, the huge grin still on his face.

Joey's snide expression on his face quickly disappeared.

"Would you both like a five minute break before we start again?" the dealer asked the two of them.

"No," Sophie replied, her eyes still locked on Joey.

Joey glanced at the dealer, still feeling the bruise of his ego.

He quickly shook his head as the dealer began to shuffle the new deck.

Just then, House returned to the group and stood next to Cuddy.

"Where have you been all this time?" Cuddy demanded.

"Had some things to take care of," House replied off- handedly.

"Where's Cameron?" Cuddy asked.

Chase turned around and noticed for the first time that Cameron wasn't with them. He looked at House for an explanation.

"She went to play slots," House replied, his eyes meeting Chase's eyes meaningfully.

Chase furrowed his eyebrows, understanding that there was some deeper meaning behind House's gaze.

Not being able to figure it out, Chase turned his attention back to Joey and Sophie's table as both of them placed the blind bets.

TBC…


	47. Chapter 45

**HI EVERYONE!**

**SORRY I POSTED THIS CHAPTER SO LATE, BUT HERE IT IS.**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR WONDERFUL COMMENTS! I RESPONDED TO ALL OF THEM.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

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**CHAPTER 45: Please read and comment.**

It had been almost hour since Joey and Sophie had started playing against each other.

Each of them had several thousand dollars in chips in front of them.

A larger crowd had formed around the edges of the poker room as Joey and Sophie continued to play. Cuddy, Chase, Debbie and Wilson were all standing next to each other, not having moved since the tournament started. House was now standing to the left of Wilson, leaning on his cane with an annoyed look on his face.

Cameron still had not returned to the Poker Room.

"Can't she just finish him off already?" House muttered.

"If your leg hurts, go sit down," Wilson replied, not taking his eyes off the game.

"I don't wanna miss anything," House whined.

"Then take a Vicodin and stop whining," Wilson told him.

House glared at Wilson, who took a sip from the beer bottle he was holding in his left hand. His right arm was tight around Debbie's waist.

"You were a lot less annoying when you were single," House said, reaching for Wilson's beer.

Wilson promptly moved his hand and his beer out of his reach and gave it to Debbie to hold onto. Debbie took the beer bottle from him and gave Wilson a kiss. Wilson then flashed House a satisfied smirk.

"I take that back. You were just as annoying," House said.

Joey tossed in the small blind, which Sophie followed with the big blind. As they were dealt their two hole cards, Sophie carefully watched Joey's faced as he peeked at his hand without turning them over.

"Your turn, babe," Joey said to her after looking at his cards.

Sophie briefly peeked at her own cards and then looked back up at Joey.

Joey tossed in five- thousand dollars worth of chips without blinking an eye and stared at Sophie, waiting to see what she would do.

Sophie only hesitated for a second before matching his bet with the same amount of chips, waiting to see if he would re- raise the bet.

When he didn't, the dealer turned over the Flop, the first three cards, which were a **Ten of Diamonds, a Seven of Clubs, and Six of Diamonds.**

Staring contemplatively at the Flop, Joey confidently tossed in another thousand in chips. Sophie quickly did the same thing, matching his bet once more, without saying a word. She then folded her hands together, entwining her fingers and gazed at Joey calmly.

"You're calling again?" Joey asked her.

Sophie didn't reply and didn't change her facial expression. She just kept her gaze locked on Joey.

The dealer then dealt the Turn, or fourth card, a **Nine of Spades.**

It was Joey's turn to bet, but he didn't reach for his chips.

"Pretty tight betting," Joey commented.

Sophie still didn't reply, her facial expression remaining stoic, patiently waiting for him to either check, raise or fold.

"I don't remember you ever being this tight," Joey said slyly, licking his upper lip.

"And I don't remember your stack ever being that big," Sophie retorted without missing a beat.

Chase laughed out loud at Sophie's reply, along with many of the other spectators. Even Wilson chuckled at Sophie's dig.

Joey, feeling another slight sting to his ego, frowned slightly.

"With a bet that tight, you don't have the tens," Joey stated bluntly.

"And with a bet that aggressive, you don't have the nuts," Sophie replied calmly.

As Debbie's eyes almost popped out of her head at Sophie's comment, Wilson laughed.

"'Nuts' is a poker term. It means he doesn't have the best possible hand, which in this case, would be a Straight, which would beat Sophie's hand if she had Tens in the hole," he explained to her.

"Oh," Debbie said in a low voice.

She then walked in front of Wilson with her back facing him, took his arms and wrapped them around her tiny waist. As she pushed her ass against his pelvis, she could tell that he had the beginnings of an erection.

"I'm learning so much from you," Debbie murmured seductively to Wilson.

"I'm all about the teaching," Wilson murmured back, pushing his pelvis up against her perfectly round and sculpted behind.

Oblivious to Debbie and Wilson's antics, Chase furrowed his brow as he watched Joey and Sophie continue their staring contest for a few more moments.

"…Take it down," Joey finally mumbled, tossing his cards into the middle and leaning back into his chair.

Sophie smirked lightly and gathered the substantial amount of chips that had accumulated into the middle of the table and began to stack them neatly next to her other chips.

"Did you have the Tens?" Joey asked as he watched her count and stack her chips.

Sophie looked up from her chips with a tiny smile on her lips.

"I'm sorry, Joey. I don't remember," she replied.

Joey grinned broadly as she took her chips, knowing that Sophie would never reveal what she was holding once the hand was over, regardless of whether she had won or lost the hand.

"Having fun?" Joey asked casually.

Sophie shrugged in response, but said nothing.

"You _ARE_ having fun," Joey stated.

"I like the game," Sophie said off- handedly.

At this, Joey leaned forward across the table, his eyes intent on hers.

"You like _WINNING_," Joey said bluntly.

"Is that supposed to be some earth- shattering epiphany?" Sophie asked with a grimace.

"You like seeing the faces on these humps when they realize they've been beaten by a pretty girl. You like that feeling you get when you take stacks of checks off guys who think they know how to play this game," Joey continued.

Sophie drew in a breath, knowing exactly what Joey was trying to tell her.

"I play for money," Sophie declared.

"No you don't. _I_ play for money," Joey retorted.

Sophie felt an uneasy feeling begin to grow in her stomach, but her facial expression revealed nothing.

"This is inside you. It's what lights you up. It's who you are," Joey said in a menacing voice.

"No it's not," Sophie said, looking down at her chips again. She started to rearrange them, avoiding Joey's stare.

"You keep thinking that if you keep telling yourself that, that you might just believe it one day," Joey replied.

Sophie glared at him for a second, and then back down at her chips.

Joey then leaned even closer to her over the table.

"_But in the meantime, you and I could make some serious bank together if we do this again_," Joey whispered.

Because of spectators standing around him having various conversations, Chase couldn't hear a word that Sophie and Joey had said to each other since she had taken the last hand.

But he could tell by the somber looks on their faces and the changes in their body language that it was far from the teasing banter they had been volleying during the game.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few moments later, Sophie and Joey had already placed their bets and the dealer had dealt a new Flop:

**A King of Diamonds, A Seven of Hearts and a Nine of Spades.**

Joey peeked at his hole cards, a **Seven of Clubs and a Nine of Hearts.**

Having been dealt two pair on the flop, Joey waited patiently for Sophie to peek at her own hand.

When Sophie saw that she had been dealt a **King of Spades and a Five of Hearts** in the hole, and that she had a high pair, she tossed in ten thousand dollars into the middle of the table.

Joey chuckled at her sudden aggressive bet. The spectators watching them began to murmur to themselves in surprise at her bet as well.

"You must have a monster under there," Joey stated.

When she didn't reply, he tossed ten- thousand dollars from his own chips to match her bet.

"I see your ten… and I raise you another five," Joey stated, tossing in the additional appropriate amount of chips.

Sophie nodded once and tossed in five thousand of her own chips to call his raise.

The dealer then turned over the Turn, a **Nine of Clubs**, which gave Joey a Full House.

Sophie immediately noticed the way Joey's eyes were dancing in excitement at the card that was just dealt.

Which meant that she knew that Joey must have had the Full House.

And if she was right, there was no way her King could help her.

She knew that if she wanted to stay in the game, the right move was to fold the hand.

"Well?" Joey said impatiently.

Sophie looked up at Joey once more.

She then took another twenty- thousand dollars in chips and tossed them into the pot.

"I raise," Sophie stated.

"She's got Pocket Kings," Wilson said in a voice barely above a whisper.

Chase and Cuddy turned immediately towards Wilson with their eyebrows raised.

"You sure?" Cuddy asked.

"With a bet like that? Definitely," Wilson stated, keeping his eyes on the game.

"But if he's got the Full House," Chase began.

"He doesn't," Wilson declared confidently.

"And how do you know that?" Cuddy demanded lightly, arching her eyebrow.

"Because I know my sister. She'd fold the hand if she knew she couldn't win," Wilson replied.

Joey turned down his lower lip, impressed.

"Ok… I see your raise…" he began, tossing twenty thousand dollars into the pot.

"And… I raise you whatever I've got here," Joey finished, pushing all of his chips into the middle of the table, causing the spectators to murmur and gasp once more.

House, Chase and the rest of the spectators darted their eyes towards Sophie to see her reaction to Joey's raise.

But her serene facial expression didn't change at all.

"Call," Sophie stated, pushing all of her chips into the middle.

Chase grinned happily. "She's got Trip Kings," he said, feeling his pride in her swell in his chest.

"She's got him," Wilson agreed with a smile on his face that matched Chase's smile.

The dealer then turned over the River, the final card, revealing a **Three of Hearts.**

"I'm guessing that Three didn't help you," Joey stated knowingly.

"Nope. It didn't," Sophie replied with a small smile.

"She's slow rolling him," Wilson stated to the group. "She's acting demure so she can surprise the crap out of him by revealing her winning hand slowly."

"I've got The Boat," he stated proudly as he turned over his hole cards, revealing his Full House.

The crowd of spectators watched Sophie with excitement and anticipation, waiting impatiently for Sophie to reveal her hand.

But Sophie kept her small smile on her face as she turned over her cards.

"Looks like it," Sophie replied.

A stunned collective gasp emanated from the crowd when they saw her two Kings.

Joey's eyes bugged out of his head at her hand.

Chase and Wilson's eyes were popping out as well.

"…She **_LOST_**?!" Chase exclaimed in complete shock.

"Good game," Sophie said to Joey cordially.

"You said he didn't have the Full House!" Cuddy announced.

"I… guess I was wrong," Wilson said, completely flabbergasted.

"You also said that she would fold if she knew she couldn't win," House commented.

"I thought she would," Wilson replied, still stunned.

As Joey reluctantly shook Sophie's hand, the Tournament Officials approached the two of them and began to congratulate them.

"She still wins something for coming in second, right?" Chase asked Wilson.

"Ninety- thousand," Wilson replied, the shock still evident in his voice.

As the Tournament Officials began to explain how Joey and Sophie would receive their pay- outs, Sophie snuck a glance at Chase in the crowd.

He gave her a sympathetic smile.

"_I'M SORRY_," he mouthed to her.

Sophie smiled back, touched her fingertips to her lips and blew Chase a kiss from across the room.

Chase touched his fingertips to his own lips and touched his heart, showing her that he had caught her kiss.

"Too bad Cameron missed this," House said casually.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Around ten minutes later, Chase walked up to a twenty- five dollar Black Jack table where Cameron was sitting with two other players.

"How are you doing?" Chase asked her softly.

"Not great," she muttered, indicating that she was down to her last three chips.

"You shouldn't hit when the dealer's showing a 2 and you're holding a twelve," Chase stated.

"Now he tells me," Cameron said in a dead- panned voice to the dealer, who chuckled in response.

"How come you never came back to watch?" Chase asked her.

Cameron shrugged. "I was having a hard time following the game," she lied.

Chase nodded, not fully believing her answer. But the melancholy expression on Cameron's face told him that he shouldn't press her.

"So did Sophie completely humiliate that guy in the tournament?" Cameron asked.

"She lost," Chase replied.

Cameron snapped her head around, her blond hair softly tousling in the process, stunned. Chase smiled sheepishly.

"She won $90,000 for coming in second… but yeah," Chase said.

"I'm just as surprised as you are," he added, seeing that Cameron's shocked look was still on her face.

"We're going to Lucky's for a bite and drinks. You coming?" Chase asked her.

Cameron looked down at her chips. "I don't have much cash—" she began.

"Sophie's buying," Chase interrupted her.

"C'mon. It's no fun without you," Chase coaxed her with a dazzling smile, holding out his hand.

Cameron felt her heart flutter inside her at his smile.

"Ok," she agreed, getting out of her seat and taking his hand.

As they began to head over to Lucky's Lounge at the other end of the casino, still holding hands, Cameron hoped that the blush that was forming on her cheeks wasn't too visible to Chase.

TBC…


	48. Chapter 46

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS! I RESPONDED TO ALL OF THEM.**

**AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN READING AND FOR ADDING ME TO THEIR ALERTS!! I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE ALL ENJOYING THIS STORY!**

**PLEASE FEEL FREE TO POST WHENEVER YOU WISH!! COMMENTS MAKE ME HAPPY! :D**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

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** CHAPTER 46: Please read and comment.**

Around five minutes later, Chase and Cameron entered Lucky's Lounge. Chase immediately spotted Cuddy waving them over from a large, round booth in the back.  Chase led Cameron over to the booth, where House, Cuddy, Debbie, Wilson and Sophie were sitting with menus.

Chase slid into the booth next to Sophie, put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her lips.

"Did you order yet?" Chase asked her with a smile.

"No. We were waiting for you," Sophie replied, smiling back.

Cameron ignored the slightly painful twinge she felt in her heart at seeing them kiss as she picked up her menu.

"So what does everyone want?" she asked.

"The martinis are supposed to be great," Debbie replied.

"Sounds good to me," Sophie agreed, nodding at Debbie.

Sophie then noticed her brother staring at her pointedly.

"I'm old enough to drink, remember?" Sophie said in annoyance.

Wilson smirked slightly, but continued to stare at her.

"Are you gonna stare at me like that all night?" Sophie demanded.  "I just can't believe you lost," Wilson said.

"I misread his hand," Sophie replied simply with a shrug.

"How could you have misread his hand? Even _I_ knew what he was holding!" Wilson exclaimed, picking his hands up off the table.

"It's not like I walked away with nothing. And this is the most I've ever made at any game," Sophie reminded him. "Why is this bothering you so much?"

"I've just never seen you screw up like that," Wilson commented.

"Thanks," Sophie replied dryly.

Chase draped his arm around her supportively and kissed her cheek.

"Don't listen to him. You were fantastic," Chase said, nuzzling his nose against her cheek.

"Save it until you get back to the room," House said, which made Wilson focus his annoyance off of Sophie and onto him.

"So what did you think he was holding?" Debbie asked her.  

"Truthfully, I don't even remember. It's all a blur to me now," Sophie replied sheepishly.

House gazed at her for only a few seconds.

"What a load of crap," he stated bluntly.

Wilson, Sophie, Debbie and Cuddy turned their heads towards House in surprise, while Cameron and Chase rolled their eyes at each other.

"_This should be good_," Chase muttered to Cameron, making her laugh in response.

"You threw the game," House declared confidently to Sophie.

"Now why would I do something like that?" Sophie asked him.

"Beats me, but you did," House replied.

"I told you. I misread his hand. It happens," Sophie repeated. "Now can we order?" she added impatiently.

"Not to you," House continued.

"Greg, let it go already," Cuddy told him wearily as she continued to peruse the menu, trying to decide between the sausage or pepperoni pizza.

But House wouldn't let up. He leaned across the table and folded his hands together.

"Did he tell you that watching you play cards makes his naughty place feel all tingly?" House asked Sophie in a conspiratorial tone.

"House!" Wilson berated him.

"No," Sophie replied with a slightly amused glance and tone.

"Then he told you that cards makes _YOUR_ naughty place feel all tingly, and you wanted to prove him wrong," House pressed.

Sophie kept her gaze on House for a second.

But then she chuckled, shook her head and turned her attention away from House to peer at Chase's menu.

House made a mental note of Sophie's hesitation before she looked away and smiled to himself.

But Wilson didn't notice. He leaned on Debbie's shoulder in mock exasperation.

"Remind me why we had to invite him again?" Wilson asked her, causing Debbie to kiss him.

"Stop embarrassing Sophie and decide what you want to eat," Cuddy chided House, still looking at the menu.

"But _MO- OM!_!!" House whined.

Before Cuddy could tell him to stop whining, a male voice near them interrupted them out of nowhere.

"You should've won," the voice said.

The entire table looked up and saw a stout but built man with closely cropped dark hair and a goatee, wearing a black Motley Crüe t- shirt a pair of jeans with a hole in the right knee and Converse All- Stars sneakers.

He was looking directly at Sophie as he spoke.

"You're better than that asshole. You could have taken him down," the man said to her.

House, Wilson and Chase narrowed their eyebrows suspiciously at the man in front of their table while Chase placed his arm protectively around Sophie.

"…Thanks," Sophie said tentatively as she leaned against Chase nervously.

The guy kept his gaze on her for a moment longer before walking away from the table, without saying another word.

"Ok, that was weird," Chase said.

"… I actually thought it was more creepy than weird," Sophie replied.

Chase looked at her and could tell that she was a bit shaken up by the encounter.

"Are you ok?" he asked her with concern, touching her chin. Sophie nodded quickly.

"Did you recognize that guy?" Wilson asked her, his concern growing along with Chase's.

"He was in the tournament. He was sitting with Joey for a while, but then he walked out in the middle of a hand," Sophie replied.

Wilson and Chase looked at each other warily while Sophie looked back at her menu and shrugged once more.

"Joey must have really pissed him off," she commented, deciding not to give the man a second thought. 

--------------------------------------------------------------

A half hour later, Cuddy was almost done eating her second slice of brick oven pizza with sausage and pepperoni that she had ordered for her, House and Wilson. After placing the crust down on her plate, which had a tiny layer of sauce on it, House reached over to her plate to grab it.

But Cuddy quickly slapped his hand away.

"Hands off," Cuddy told him possessively.

"Did you fail sharing in Kindergarten?" House snarked.

"You usually steal his food! Why are you suddenly stealing mine?" Cuddy asked.

"I didn't want to be accused of being formulaic. And if I steal Wilson's food, two people will yell at me instead of one. It's basic math," House replied.

Cuddy snorted. "Take it," she muttered.

"What do you care anyway? You ate all the sausage and pepperoni," House replied as he took a large bite out of the crust he stole from Cuddy.

"I don't eat just to make sure I fulfill my daily iron requirements, Greg," Cuddy replied.

"And yes, I took my ferro- sequel today," she added before House could ask her about it.

"You'll probably have to increase the dosage soon," House commented off- handedly.

At this, Wilson raised his eyebrow in interest.

"And why is that?" Wilson asked with a grin.

House, suddenly realizing what he had said, stopped chewing. Cuddy swallowed whatever food was left in her mouth and immediately grabbed her soda to avoid answering Wilson's question.

"Something you wanna tell us?" Chase asked, his grin matching Wilson's.

"There's nothing to tell," Cuddy quickly replied, ending the conversation.

Just then, Wilson felt Debbie's hand high up on his inner thigh near his crotch under the table, causing him to jump slightly in his seat in the booth.

He darted his eyes over at Debbie, who was wearing an innocent look on her face as she took a sip from her second tropical martini.

"I… think we're gonna call it a night," Wilson said to the table.

"You sure? We were going to order a cake for you," Cuddy said.

Wilson then felt Debbie's hand shift over to the bulge between his legs, causing him to gasp silently.

"I'm sure," he assured her, motioning for Sophie, Chase and Cameron to get out of the booth.

"Ok," Cuddy replied, slightly confused.

Wilson and Debbie said good- night to everyone at the table, wound their arms around each other and hurried out of the Lounge.

"Now _THAT_ was weird," Cameron commented as she, Sophie and Chase sat back down in the booth.

Sophie giggled. "That's because you didn't see Debbie groping him under the table," she told her.

Cameron's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me!" she said.

"It's always the quiet ones," Chase teased.

Cameron and Sophie shared a laugh over that. Cameron then gave Sophie a regretful glance.

"I'm sorry I missed the tournament," Cameron apologized.

"It's ok," she replied.

"You really missed a great game. She was incredible," Chase said.

"Except for the last hand _WHEN SHE THREW THE GAME_," House pointed out, causing Cuddy to elbow him in the ribs.

"Robbie, stop," Sophie said to Chase with slight embarrassment.

"You were brilliant the entire game! You could easily play in tournaments all the time," Chase said with pride in his voice.

"…I know," Sophie said softly, looking down at the table.

At first Chase stared at her, not understanding why she had gotten so quiet all of a sudden.

Then the realization dawned on him as he looked up at House, who had his usual calm, yet knowing expression on his face.

"House was _RIGHT_?" Chase asked her incredulously.

"That surprises you?" House asked him with mock hurt in his voice.

"Why'd you do it?" Chase asked her, ignoring House.

"Joey hates tournaments. Too many rules," Sophie began.

Chase shook his head, still not understanding what she meant.

"I know that he only played in this one tonight to try to coax me back into working with him," Sophie explain.

"But being a rounder isn't the kind of life I want," Sophie continued as she placed her hand on top of his on the table- top.

When Chase continued to stare at her, still surprised by her revelation, Sophie smiled at him warmly.

"I want to be a doctor and I want to be with you," she told him.

"You… threw the game for _ME_?" Chase asked her, barely able to get the words out.

"Yeah, I guess I did," Sophie replied, her smile remaining.

Cameron could feel her conflicting feelings swell inside her at Sophie and Chase's tender moment.

But she brushed them aside and forced a smile. 

------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time, Joey Smythe was standing in the darkness of the above ground parking lot of the hotel, holding a cigarette to his lips in one hand, with his other hand stuffed in the pocket of his jeans.

He jumped when he felt a hand clamp roughly onto his shoulder from behind him. He quickly spun around and saw a stout but built man with closely cropped dark hair and a goatee, wearing a black Motley Crüe t- shirt a pair of jeans with a hole in the right knee and Converse All- Stars sneakers.

Joey exhaled in slight relief upon recognizing the man.

"You're late," Joey told him curtly, as he threw the cigarette down onto the floor and crushed it with his shoe.

"So where's my take?" the man demanded.

Joey took a large wad of hundred dollar bills out of the inside pocket of his worn in leather jacket and handed it to the man.

"Here. Ten percent. Just like we agreed," Joey said.

The man licked his thumb and quickly counted through the bankroll that Joey handed to him. He shoved the roll in his front pocket and gazed at Joey coolly.

"I changed my mind. I want fifty," the man said.

Joey laughed in disgust. "No fuckin' way," Joey retorted.

"Besides you and that hot chick, I was the only competition you had in that room. I did you a favor by walking out," the man pointed out.

"Yeah whatever. I'll still not giving you half," Joey stated.

At this, the man stepped closer to Joey, closing the distance between them.

"You can either give me half… or you're gonna wind up giving me _ALL_ of it," the man said menacingly.

Joey, who was almost a head taller than the man, squared off his shoulders and chest slightly.

"And what's gonna make me do that?" Joey asked.

Without warning, the man suddenly thrust his fist into Joey's stomach, causing him to cry out in pain and cover his abdomen with his hand.

The man pulled his fist back as quickly as he had thrust it forward.

In his extreme pain and in the darkness, Joey could see that the man was holding a boxcutter knife in his fist.

The blade was extended three inches out of its black covering and was covered in Joey's blood.

Joey looked down at his t- shirt, which was beginning to stain with his blood. His hand over his abdomen began to shake.

Joey then fell backwards, instinctively holding his hand out which prevented him from banging his head on the concrete. The man crouched down onto the pavement and grabbed the lapels of Joey's leather jacket, pulling him up off the ground.

"_WHERE'S THE REST OF IT?_!" The man demanded, shaking Joey violently.

"They… put it… in… my… acc- count…" Joey said haltingly, feeling even more lightheaded, trying his best to keep his hand over his stomach to prevent further blood loss. He could feel his hand becoming soaked.

"Bullshit," the man spat out.

The man then quickly searched all of Joey's jacket pockets, finding a few smaller rolls of cash, which he took from him, as Joey continued to bleed.

"Where's the rest of it?! Does the girl have it?!" the man demanded, enraged.

"…Leave… her alone," Joey managed to say as he felt himself become slightly dizzy.

The man then threw Joey back onto the pavement in disgust and ran for the nearest stairwell, disappearing from Joey's view.

As Joey continued to put pressure on his bleeding abdomen with his bare hand, he somehow managed to fumble for his cell phone in his back pocket, flipped it open and pressed 'SEND,' praying silently that Sophie would answer her phone.

TBC…


	49. Chapter 47

**HI EVERYONE!**

**I KNOW THAT I NORMALLY POST EVERY OTHER DAY, BUT I GOT A BURST OF INSPIRATION...**

**SO HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!! :-D**

**AND IF YOU THOUGHT THE LAST CHAPTER WAS INTENSE, WAIT UNTIL YOU READ THIS ONE.**

**THANK YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS! I RESPONDED TO ALL OF THEM.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

****************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 47: Please read and comment.**

"I want to be a doctor and I want to be with you," Sophie told Chase.

"You… threw the game for ME?" Chase asked her, barely able to get the words out.

"Yeah, I guess I did," Sophie replied, her smile remaining.

Cameron could feel her conflicting feelings swell inside her at Sophie and Chase's tender moment.

But she brushed them aside and forced a smile.

Cuddy was smiling as well, but she didn't have to force it. She could feel tears of emotion well up in her eyes at they way Chase was gazing at Sophie with love.

House glanced at Cuddy and snorted.

"Here she goes again," he grunted. "I swear, hormones are the mysteries of life."

"It wouldn't hurt you to be a little romantic once in a while," Cuddy told him.

"Yes it would," House replied.

"Get out," Cuddy said to him.

House's eyes widened tremendously at her statement. Cuddy rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"I have to go to the bathroom," Cuddy explained, scooting closer to him and gently pushing him out of the booth.

House breathed a tiny sigh of relief while Cameron snickered at the way Cuddy caught him off guard. House then slid out of the booth to let her get out.

As he watched Cuddy walk away from their table and towards the exit of the Lounge, a slow smile crept across his face.

"_YOU'RE WASTING YOUR TIME! E.P.T.'S DON'T SHOW RESULTS THIS FAST_!" House shouted out across the Lounge to her.

Cuddy turned her head back around towards his direction, stuck her tongue out at him and left the lounge, as the smile on House's face remained.

He then turned back to the table and saw Cameron glaring at him.

"What? They don't," House stated with a shrug.

"And you felt you were doing a public service by announcing it to everyone in the room," Cameron stated.

While House and Cameron continued bickering, Chase and Sophie were talking intimately together.

Chase had his arm casually draped over the top of the couch in the booth.

"So are you gonna make up your rounds this summer at PPTH?" he asked her softly.

"Mmm hmm," she replied, matching his soft tone as he nuzzled her nose with his own.

He then gently traced his fingertips along Sophie's bare, right shoulder, as he brushed his lips delicately against hers. He could feel her moan into his mouth at his kiss.

As they kissed, Chase couldn't believe how devoted Sophie was to him. She was uprooting her entire life for him by changing medical schools in the middle of the year and she had just thrown the poker tournament because she wanted a life with him.

"Let's go up to the room soon," Chase murmured softly into Sophie's ear.

"Ok," Sophie whispered back, her eyes sparkling at him.

At that moment, Sophie's cell phone rang in her pocket. She snorted lightly and took it out to look at the caller ID.

"It's Joey," she stated with a confused grimace.

"Probably wants to rub it in your face that he won tonight," Chase remarked, leaning back up against the booth.

Sophie laughed and flipped open her phone.

"What do you want, Joey?" she asked him, winking and smiling at Chase.

"…Soph…" Joey said in a strained, raspy voice.

Sophie furrowed her eyebrows and placed her finger in her ear to hear him better.

"I can hardly hear you," Sophie said a little louder into the phone above the din of the Lounge.

"…Get… outta there…" Joey said in the same tone.

"Joey?" Sophie repeated.

"Big guy… Motley… Crüe t- shirt… goatee…" Joey breathed, using all of his strength to form the words.

Chase narrowed his eyebrows as Sophie scrunched up her face, at first having no idea what Joey was talking about.

"What's up?" he asked her.

"I don't know," Sophie said to Chase.

"P-please… g-get out…" Joey repeated desperately as best he could.

"…Joey, where are you?" Sophie asked him into the phone, suddenly becoming aware that he was stuttering.

"…R-roof… P- parking lot…" Joey managed to say.

"Are you hurt? What's wrong?" Sophie demanded.

"S-s- stomach… b-blood—" Joey stammered.

"You're bleeding from your stomach?" Sophie repeated, making sure she heard him correctly.

Chase and Cameron looked at each other nervously as they continued to listen to Sophie's conversation. House merely narrowed his eyes.

"…Mm… hmm…" Joey said, his voice shaking even more.

Chase watched Sophie's face turn white.

"…C-cold…" Joey whispered.

"Put pressure on it as hard as you can. I'm coming to find you," Sophie ordered Joey through the phone. "Stay on the line with me as long as you can."

"What's wrong?" House said calmly.

"I think Joey's hurt. He says he's bleeding from his stomach," Sophie said as she began to slide across the booth.

"Did he say where he was?" Chase asked her as he and Cameron got out of the booth as well.

"Roof parking lot," Sophie said as she dashed out of the lounge.

Cameron and Chase ran swiftly after her, leaving House alone at the table, as the other people in the lounge turned their heads in interest towards them to try to figure out what all the commotion was about.

Just then, their waitress placed the bill for their drinks and food on the table in front of House.

"Have a nice evening," the waitress said.

House blinked his eyes as he looked at the three figure amount at the bottom of the bill.

"It's amazing what crap some people will do to avoid paying a check," House muttered as he dug his wallet out of his back pocket. 

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A few minutes later, Cuddy flushed the toilet in the public bathroom near the Lounge with her foot and opened the door to the stall.

As she headed over to the sink to wash her hands, she jumped when she saw that there was a man's reflection in the mirror behind her.

She spun around to face him.

She recognized him immediately.

He was a stout but built man with closely cropped dark hair and a goatee, wearing a black Motley Crüe t- shirt a pair of jeans with a hole in the right knee and Converse All- Stars sneakers.

Immediately getting a bad feeling about being alone in a bathroom with this man, Cuddy stood up straighter as she confidently strode towards the exit of the bathroom.

But the man quickly blocked her path, preventing her from leaving.

"Whoa. Where you do think you're going?" the man asked her.

Cuddy swallowed nervously, but didn't answer him as she met his eyes.

"I saw you with that hot brunette. Where'd she go?" the man demanded.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she said, shaking her head quickly as she tried to sidestep him once more.

But he blocked her path again and grabbed her right wrist firmly in his.

"Yes you do," he said in a low, threatening voice, seeing the fear in her eyes.

Cuddy paused only for a second before swiftly thrusting her knee up into his crotch, causing him to let go of her wrist and moan out loud in pain as he doubled over, clutching his stomach.

She froze for only an instant, suddenly feeling overwhelmed at the encounter.

As she came to her senses, she reached for the door handle to run out of the bathroom.

But as her fingertips touched the door, she felt a large, heavy hand weigh down on her left shoulder, forcibly turning her around.

The next thing she felt was intense sharp pain as the man's fist made contact with the left side of her face, sending her sprawling onto the tile floor of the bathroom.

The man roughly picked Cuddy up off the floor by her hair and forced her to stand on her feet.

Cuddy's left cheek was already swollen and beginning to bruise.

Her lip was bleeding.

Hot tears began to uncontrollably run down her face as her entire body tensed with fear.

"Now tell me where she went," the man demanded again, fisting his hand into her hair and giving it a tug. 

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After a few more minutes, House, who was still in the booth of the Lounge, looked at his watch, wondering why it was taking so long for Cuddy to come back to the bathroom.

"There's probably a line a mile long," House muttered to himself.

He then slid out of the booth and began to limp towards the exit of the Lounge. 

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"I swear. I have no idea who you're talking about," Cuddy pleaded to the man.

"Did she go to help that leather- ass?" the man demanded angrily, taking his hand off her hair and grabbing her upper arm like a vise.

Despite the fact that she was petrified, she could see by the man's dilated pupils in her face that he wasn't completely sober.

"Well I took care of him already, so she'll probably be too late," the man confessed.

"I'll give you whatever I have. Just let me go," Cuddy begged, trying to shake out of his grip.

"I don't think so," the man said.

Cuddy's lower lip, which was now swollen, began to quiver.

"That asshole owes me a hundred grand. I was planning on taking it out of the other brunette…" he began.

Still holding tightly onto her upper arm, he then gave her a leery once over in her low cut black halter top, dark skinny jeans and high heeled lace up boots.

"But since she's not here… I guess I'll have to take it out of you," he told her creepily.

Cuddy shook her head violently. She opened her mouth to scream, but the man quickly covered her mouth with his other hand.

"Nice try," the man whispered.

Cuddy began to feel her legs become weak under her.

At that moment, House opened the door to the women's bathroom, banging it against the opposite wall, immediately focusing on Cuddy and the man holding onto her.

The noise of the door caused both Cuddy and the man to snap their heads in his direction. The man lowered his hand off Cuddy's mouth, revealing her bruised cheek and swollen, bloody lip.

Cuddy's eyes widened in shock and tremendous relief.

"_THANK GOD_," she thought to herself, feeling her entire body slump.

But House's eyes darkened upon seeing the man's grip on her arm. He felt incredible rage rise inside of him as if he was seeing red.

Caught off guard by House, the man let go of Cuddy and backed up a few steps. Cuddy quickly ran to House, grabbing onto him.

But House pushed her out of the way, safely behind him.

He then gripped his cane as if he was holding a baseball bat and swung it against the man's head as hard as he could. The man's head spun around as if it was a top as he went down onto the floor.

Cuddy gasped out loud, her hands flying to her mouth.

But House didn't stop.

He quickly got down onto the ground and straddled the man's stout body and began to punch him in the face.

Over and over again.

Blood began to appear on House's knuckles that gushed out of the man's nose.

"Greg! Stop!" Cuddy begged him, trying to pull him off the man.

"**_YOU LIKE TO BEAT UP WOMEN? IS THAT WHAT YOU LIKE_**?!" House yelled at the man, completely enraged.

"Greg! Please!" Cuddy repeated. "He's unconscious!"

Suddenly, House stopped punching the man and remembered that Cuddy was injured. He quickly turned to her and got up off the man to examine her face.

"Did he hurt you anywhere else?" House demanded, touching her cheek as lightly as possible, as his eyes bore into her intensely.

"N-no," Cuddy replied, still shaking.

"Let's get out of here and get you to a hospital," he told her.

But before they could exit the bathroom, two security guards barged into the bathroom.

"Great timing," House said sarcastically as one of them rushed over to the man, completely bypassing House and Cuddy.

"Miss, are you hurt?" the other security guard asked Cuddy.

"Did the bruises and bloody lip give it away?" House asked him angrily.

"I came in here and he attacked me," Cuddy said, pointing at the man, who was still lying on the ground unconscious.

"You killed him?!" the other security guard exclaimed.

House rolled his eyes and begrudgingly bent down and touched the side of the man's neck with his index and third finger.

"Nope. He' still alive," House declared as he stood up and took Cuddy by the hand to lead her out of the bathroom.

"Sir. You'll have to stay to answer a few questions," one of the security guards said.

"I'm a doctor, and someone on the roof of your hotel is dying," House stated firmly, locking eyes with the security guard, who looked considerably younger than House and quite a few inches shorter than him.

"Now you can either waste time interrogating me about how I prevented this asshole from raping my girlfriend or you can call 911," House barked at him.

The guard only hesitated for a moment before taking his walkie- talkie off his hip and pressing the button.

"Dispatch. Call 911," the guard said.

"Come on," House told Cuddy, grabbing her hand. 

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At around the same time, Chase, Cameron and Sophie were frantically searching the cold, dark parking lot on the roof of the casino when they heard a faint moaning sound.

Sophie and Cameron ran towards the sound, while Chase moved as quickly as he could, cursing the throbbing pain in his ankle as he did so.

"Oh my god!" Sophie exclaimed as she laid eyes on Joey.

He was leaning on his left elbow, pressing on his stomach as hard as he possibly could, gasping for breath.

Both Cameron and Sophie rushed towards Joey's side. Cameron quickly began to assess his condition and check his vitals.

"Pulse is thready, shallow respiration," Cameron stated once Chase caught up to them.

Cameron peeled back Joey's hand and pulled up his blood stained t- shirt. Her eyes widened slightly at the entry wound.

"Chase. Call for an ambulance. Now," she stated.

Chase quickly took out his phone and dialed the numbers.

"911. What's the emergency?" a voice on the other end stated.

"This is Doctor Robert Chase. I'm on the roof parking lot of Mohegan Sun Casino Resort Hotel. I have a 26 year old male who's suffered a stab wound to his abdomen. Pulse is thready, shallow respiration—" Chase began in a professional manner.

"We already got the call, sir. Ambulance is three minutes out," the voice replied.

Chase furrowed his brow in bewilderment.

"It is?" he asked into the phone.

TBC…


	50. Chapter 48

**HI EVERYONE!**

**SORRY I TOOK SO LONG TO POST THIS CHAPTER. I HAD TO MAKE A FEW REVISIONS.**

**BUT HERE IT IS!**

**AND THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND REVIEWING!! **

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :D**

*******************************************************

**CHAPTER 48: Please read and comment.**

Debbie's knuckles went white as she tightly gripped the headboard of her and Wilson's hotel bed.

She was on her knees, stark naked, facing away from Wilson as he fucked her vigorously from behind.

Sweat glistened from both their bodies as Debbie arched her back as far back as she could in her current position, her breasts bouncing lively as Wilson held onto her hips, digging his fingers into her skin.

"Oh god… oh baby…" Debbie breathed raggedly. "I'm so close…"

The sound of her sexy cries and whimpers made Wilson's cock impossibly harder inside her.

"…Me too…" Wilson managed to say in between each powerful thrust.

"Oh GOD!" Debbie cried out as her orgasm overpowered her.

Feeling her velvety muscles draw him in, he exploded inside her, groaning at the top of his lungs.

He continued to pump into her, feeling as if electricity was surging through him.

The force of his orgasm completely wrung him out. Unable to remain on his knees any longer, he sunk down onto his heels on the bed, leaning heavily against her back, trying to catch his breath.

Still on her knees as well, Debbie arched back against Wilson's chest with an extremely satisfied smile.

He wearily cupped her right breast in his right hand, teasing her perky, erect nipple between his thumb and his index finger as he smiled along with her.

She turned her head back towards him and kissed him languidly.

They then both collapsed on the bed in a heap of sweat, their legs tangled in each others.

As they tried to relax their breathing, Debbie lay against Wilson's chest, her breasts against him. Wilson lazily draped his arm across her back, enjoying the feel of her against him.

After a few moments of contented silence, Wilson chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Debbie asked him as her supple naked frame snuggled up against them on their bed and traced random patterns on his bare chest.

"I still can't believe how much that poker talk turns you on," Wilson replied, as he gently ran his fingers through her pin straight blonde hair that draped over his chest and shoulder.

Debbie looked up at him with a tired grin. She brushed his lips with his.

"Believe it," she replied.

Wilson laughed again and wrapped his arms around her.

Just then, Wilson's cell phone rang in the pocket of his jeans, which were strewn somewhere on the floor.

"That's yours," Debbie commented.

"Ignore it," Wilson said dismissively.

After four times, the phone stopped ringing.

A second later, it began to ring again. Wilson snorted as he glared angrily at his pants on the floor, knowing exactly who was calling him.

"Maybe you should answer it," Debbie suggested.

"No I shouldn't," Wilson replied firmly.

Debbie arched her eyebrow at him curiously. "Do you know who it is?" she asked him.

"The only two people that would call me right now are either House or Sophie. Sophie knows better than to call me right now, which means it's House, which means it's not important and he just wants to screw with me," Wilson explained.

After four more rings, there was another pause from the pocket of Wilson's pants and then it began to ring again, causing Wilson to sigh in exasperation.

"And it also means that he won't stop calling until I answer it," Wilson said.

He tapped Debbie's bare shoulder gently so he could get out of the bed. She moved her body off of his and onto her side of the bed as Wilson reluctantly got up.

Debbie smirked and got out of the bed herself as Wilson picked his jeans up off the floor.

She slapped him playfully on his bare ass as she walked past him, causing him to stand up in surprise.

"I'll be right back," she told him sexily as she made her way to the bathroom.

Wilson grinned at her as he watched her disappear into their hotel bathroom and close the door behind her. He was still grinning when he opened his phone.

"What is it House?" Wilson said into the phone.

"Get out of your girlfriend and meet us at Backus Hospital," House told him bluntly.

Wilson scrunched up his face. "Why? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Cuddy was attacked in the ladies room near Lucky's," House said.

Wilson froze as House's words.

"_IS SHE ALL RIGHT_?!" Wilson demanded.

"You mean besides the fact that she has bruising on her face, a bloody, swollen lip and was almost raped? Yeah, she's just peachy," House replied sarcastically.

"Where are you now?" Wilson asked him, the nervousness rising in his voice.

"We're waiting in the ER. And I have the police report so these idiots don't think that I did this to her," House said tersely.

"They caught the guy?!" Wilson exclaimed.

"After I beat him within an inch of his life with my cane, he couldn't really run that fast," House replied.

"I…. what…?" Wilson stammered, still completely stunned and trying to make some sense out of what could have possibly happened.

"Just get dressed and get over here," House barked.

"We'll be there soon," Wilson said quickly.

After House hung up without saying god- bye, Wilson closed his phone as a glazed look came over his face.

He was so dazed that he didn't even notice that Debbie had come back out of the bathroom.

"Honey, are you ok?" Debbie asked him.

Wilson turned around. Debbie was still naked and staring at him with concern and confusion.

"Get dressed," he told her as he quickly picked up his jeans and boxers off the floor and started to put them on.

"What's going on?" Debbie asked him, wondering why he was getting dressed so frantically.

"Cuddy was attacked in the ladies room near Lucky's. They're waiting for us at Backus hospital," Wilson told her as he snatched his powder blue button down shirt up off the floor.

Debbie only paused for a second before searching the bed for the panties that Wilson had ripped off her that evening.

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**TWENTY MINUTES LATER, BACKUS HOSPITAL:**

Chase, Cameron and Sophie were sitting in soft chairs near the Spencer Wing of the hospital in silence.

They were still waiting on any news about Joey, who had been brought to the OR immediately upon admission.

Sophie was leaning forwards, her elbows resting on her knees, her head in her hands, as she stared at the linoleum tile beneath her feet.

"Do you want a coffee or something?" Chase asked her gently.

"No," Sophie replied in a raspy voice, shaking her head.

"You're sure? We're gonna be here for a while," Chase told her.

"I don't want anything," Sophie repeated.

Chase glanced over Sophie's head at Cameron, who pursed her lips together. She shook her head meaningfully to Chase, trying to let him know that he shouldn't push Sophie to do anything at this point.

Chase nodded in response. He then leaned over and kissed Sophie's cheek.

"I'll be right back," he told her reassuringly.

Sophie blinked slowly and nodded her head, saying nothing.

Chase then got up out of his chair and wandered around the corner of the hallway, out of sight, leaving Cameron and Sophie by themselves.

A sympathetic look crossed Cameron's face as she gazed at Sophie, who was still staring at the tile as if she was in a trance.

"He's gonna be ok," Cameron began.

"You don't know that," Sophie replied, still looking at the floor.

Cameron's lips parted as she inhaled slightly, trying to think of what to say next.

"…The wound didn't look that deep, and he put pressure on it just like you told him to—" Cameron began.

"His shirt was soaked in blood," Sophie interrupted.

Then out of nowhere, a curt laugh escaped Sophie's lips. Cameron raised her eyebrows in surprise. Sophie then shook her head, still laughing.

"Robbie doesn't understand," Sophie said, explaining herself.

"What do you mean?" Cameron asked her.

Sophie sat up and leaned back against the chair.

"Joey doesn't talk to his parents," Sophie began, her voice still raspy.

"He has a sister… but she lives in Arizona and doesn't want to have anything to do with him…" she continued with a shrug.

"…and I wouldn't call any of the scum that he associates with at card rooms 'friends,'" she added wearily, as if the effort of explaining everything to Cameron was too much of an effort.

"...He doesn't have anyone," Sophie said, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice.

"Except for you," Cameron said in understanding.

Sophie chuckled again. "Yeah," she said.

"He's lucky to have you," Cameron told her sincerely.

Sophie looked on the wall at the analog clock, trying not to picture Joey on the operating table with his intestines spilling out of his body.

"We'll see," Sophie said.

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At around the same time, Chase had taken a wrong turn back from the coffee machine, which had been empty.

Not having a good handle on his way around this hospital, he somehow wound up heading towards the ER.

And that's when he heard House's voice.

"Keep the ice on your face," House instructed.

Chase stopped in his tracks.

"IT CAN'T BE HIM," he said to himself.

"It's cold," Cuddy replied.

"IS THAT CUDDY?" Chase asked aloud.

"Stop arguing with me. It'll bring down the swelling," House told her.

Chase then rounded the corner into the ER waiting area.

His jaw dropped when he saw House and Cuddy sitting in chairs.

His stomach lept up into his throat when he saw Lisa pull away from the ice pack that House was trying to apply to her face.

Lisa's cheek was bruised two angry shades of red and purple and her lip was swollen considerably.

"OH MY _GOD_!" Chase blurted out.

House and Cuddy turned their heads towards Chase, just as surprised to see him as he was to see them.

"See, I TOLD you this was where the cool kids hang out," House snarked.

Chase's mouth gaped open as he continued to stare at Cuddy.

"Oh relax. I didn't do this to her," House told him.

Chase shook his head vigorously. "I… never said… what _HAPPENED_?" Chase managed to say to her.

"She was attacked in the ladies room near Lucky's," House replied.

Chase closed his mouth and sat down in an empty seat next to her, completely horrified. He covered his mouth with his hand as he continued to stare at the trauma that Lisa had sustained to her face.

She tried to smile back at him, but as she did, the pain radiated through her lip and face, making her wince. Chase winced as well, as if he could feel the pain she was experiencing. He gazed at her sadly.

"She came out of the stall, and a guy was waiting for her in there," House said.

Chase swallowed, unsure of what to say next that wouldn't make Cuddy incredibly upset.

"Greg got there before anything else happened," Cuddy reassured him softly, knowing what he was thinking.

Chase pressed his lips together and exhaled through his nose in relief.

"Now let me put the ice on your face," House said to Cuddy.

Cuddy nodded in exhaustion and leaned against House's shoulder, closing her eyes. He gingerly placed the ice pack on her face, making sure not to hurt her too much.

Chase continued to stare at her, which House noticed.

"What?" House asked, glancing at him momentarily.

"I'm just trying to figure out why some guy would wait for her in a public bathroom," Chase replied, stymied.

"Because he was looking for Sophie," House stated.

Cuddy opened her eyes and shot House a warning glance, which he ignored.  

"… W-what?" Chase asked, not sure that he had heard him correctly.

"The guy was wearing a Motley Crüe t- shirt and had a goatee," House said, trying to jog Chase's memory.

Chase immediately pictured the man in his mind that House had just described to him.

"The... same guy who came up to our table and told Sophie that she should have won the tournament?" Chase asked.

House nodded. "Joey promised him a cut of his winnings if he dropped out early. After Joey won, this guy went to collect. After Joey refused to give him a bigger cut, he stabbed him and went to find Sophie," he said.

"Why?!" Chase exclaimed, still not able to put everything together in his mind.

"Greg…" Cuddy began wearily, not wanting him to explain any further.

But House refused to stop.

"He thought they were working together and that Joey had given her half of the take, and when he couldn't find Sophie…" House said, pausing for a second.

"...he went to look for someone who was with her," House finished in a clipped tone, the anger seeping through his voice.

Chase felt his throat dry up as he digested all of this.

For a moment, he said nothing.

"…Thank god House found you when he did," Chase finally said.

House then snapped his head up at Chase.

"That's not what you were thinking," House said bluntly.

Chase was taken aback. He furrowed his brow and began to say something, but House interrupted him.

"You were thinking '_THANK GOD THE SCUMBAG FOUND LISA BEFORE HE FOUND SOPHIE_," House said menacingly.

Cuddy looked up at House completely shocked and mortified.

Chase's heart hammered inside his chest at House's words as he felt his own anger rising to the surface.

Cuddy saw that he was about to explode. She held up her hands to Chase.

"He's upset. He doesn't mean what he's saying. I know you'd never want me to be hurt," Cuddy said quickly.

"Why? Because he fucked you once? Trust me. He's relieved," House said bitterly to her as he glared angrily at Chase.

"Greg!" she exclaimed, looking around their chairs, hoping no one in the ER waiting room was listening to them.

She quickly placed her forehead in her hand and began to rub her temples in aggravation with her thumb and middle finger when she realized that people had been listening.

By now, Chase could feel his blood boiling. His mouth turned down as his eyes blazed in fury.

But between being too angry to form a coherent sentence and not wanting to embarrass Cuddy any further, he just got up and walked away.

TBC…


	51. Chapter 49

**HI EVERYONE!**

**WELL, AFTER THREE REVISIONS, THIS IS WHAT I CAME UP WITH.**

**HOPE YOU ALL LIKE IT!**

**THANKS FOR READING AND FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS!!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

**************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 49: Please read and comment.**

Cameron and Sophie were still waiting in chairs by the Spencer Wing when a male doctor in his early fifties wearing light blue scrubs and a surgical cap approached them.

"Sophie Wilson?" the doctor asked.

"Yes?" Sophie replied as she looked up from the floor at him.

"I'm Doctor Kline. I'm the surgeon who operated on your friend Joey," he explained.

Both Cameron and Sophie stood up from their chairs as Sophie impulsively grabbed Cameron's hand waiting for the doctor to speak again.

"The surgery went well," Kline told her. "He did lose a significant amount of blood, but we gave him a transfusion, and the blade perforated his stomach lining, but we were able to close the tear," he told her.

"He's ok?" Sophie clarified, her voice rising in pitch slightly.

"Yes, he's ok. He's in recovery down the hallway. You can go in if you like," the surgeon replied.

Sophie smiled broadly and exhaled in immense relief at the same time, placing her hand on her chest.

"Thank you so much," she said gratefully to the doctor, who nodded politely and went back down the hallway.

"When Robbie comes back, could you tell him that I went in to see Joey?" Sophie asked Cameron.

"Of course," Cameron replied with a kind smile and a nod.

With that, Sophie went down the Spencer Wing to Joey's recovery room, leaving Cameron by herself in chairs.

As she watched Sophie go down the hallway, she felt a mixture of relief, happiness and complete confusion.

Because Cameron truly liked Sophie.

She was a sweet, funny and smart girl. And Sophie didn't seem to mind that Chase was still close with his ex- girlfriend.

But she couldn't help but think about Chase's loving declaration to Sophie in front of everyone at the poker tournament.

'_WHY COULDN'T HE HAVE SAID THOSE THINGS TO ME?_' Cameron asked herself.

Just then, Chase rounded the corner and walked back over to where Cameron was sitting in chairs. He sat down in the chair next to her, dug into his front pocket, pulled out his bottle of Vicodin and popped one in his mouth, swallowing it dry.

Cameron arched her left eyebrow at him, but decided not to ask him about the pills or his ankle.

"Where's your coffee?" she asked him instead.

"What?" Chase asked her in slight bewilderment as he raked his fingers through the front of his hair.

"You went to get coffee," Cameron reminded him. "Did you drink it already?"

"The machine was empty," Chase muttered dismissively.

"…You were gone a long time. Where were you?" Cameron asked him carefully, knowing that something was bothering him.

Suddenly, Chase looked around the area where they were sitting.

"Where's Sophie?" Chase demanded a little harsher than he intended.

"She… went into Joey's recovery room," Cameron replied, surprised by his tone. "He's gonna be ok."

Chase looked at Cameron and laughed out loud in disgust.

"What's wrong?" Cameron asked him.

"House and Cuddy are here," Chase told her.

"Does House think there's a medical mystery behind Joey's stabbing?" Cameron said with slight sarcasm as she grimaced.

"Cuddy was attacked in the ladies room at the hotel," Chase said flatly.

Cameron's sarcastic expression immediately changed to one of shock. Her hand flew to her mouth as her eyes widened tremendously.

"Oh my god! Is she all right?" Cameron exclaimed.

"She has bruising all over her face… her lip is all swollen… and if House hadn't come into the bathroom when he did…" Chase began, trailing off.

Cameron's mouth was still covering her hand. Chase wiped his mouth brusquely with his hand, feeling nauseous just thinking about what could have happened to Cuddy if House hadn't gone into the ladies room.

"Why would some random person attack Cuddy?" Cameron asked him incredulously.

Chase met her eyes again, his own eyes glazing over with anger.

"It wasn't random," he stated. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Cuddy had finally been called by a doctor to be examined. She was sitting up on a bed in the ER as a rather young- looking orthopedic resident gently palpated Cuddy's cheekbones.

House stood behind him, watching the young doctor's every move.

"How old are you?" House demanded of the doctor.

"I'm a second year resident," the doctor replied, not bothering to turn around to face House.

"I have mold growing in my bathroom sink that's older than you," House snarked.

Cuddy shot House an annoyed look over the doctor's shoulder. The doctor smirked and continue to examine Cuddy's injuries.

"Nothing's broken. Just a lot of bruising," the resident declared.

"Could be a zygomatic break," House suggested.

"Bruising doesn't usually present—" the doctor began.

"Yeah, I went to med school too. I want you to do a maxillofacial CT. All views," House ordered him.

"I don't want a CT scan," Cuddy stated firmly.

House snorted, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"The lower half of your body isn't going in the machine," House reminded her.

The doctor looked away from Cuddy's cheek and directly into her eyes.

"Is there a chance you might be pregnant?" he asked her.

"Yes," she replied.

"If you are pregnant, the fetus isn't a fetus. It's a _zygote_, and the risk is minimal," House argued.

"But there's still a risk," Cuddy argued back.

"We'll place a lead apron over your abdomen," the resident reassured her.

"See? Lead apron. Problem solved," House said flippantly.

Just then, Wilson and Debbie entered the area where Cuddy was being examined.

Once Debbie saw Cuddy, a horrified look appeared on her face. Wilson's expression remained friendly and slightly sympathetic, as if he was looking at a patient.

He placed his hand gingerly on Cuddy's shoulder upon approaching her.

"Hey. How you feeling?" he asked her softly.

"Tired," she admitted.

Wilson nodded in understanding. "The trauma plus the painkillers—" Wilson began.

"She's on Tylenol. She refused all narcotics," House interrupted.

"If I'm pregnant, it could hurt the baby," Cuddy reminded him.

"_ZYGOTE_," House reminded her back.

Debbie and Wilson exchanged slightly uncomfortable glances at their conversation. Wilson then turned back to Cuddy with the same friendly and sympathetic smile.

"You can take Vicodin or Percocet. They can monitor your dose," Wilson told her.

"I'm not taking any chances," Cuddy stated firmly.

"Was she always this difficult, or was I just always distracted by her cleavage?" House quipped to Wilson.

Wilson chuckled. "Probably both," he admitted sheepishly.

"Oh god..." Cuddy said suddenly, as if she was just realizing something.

"What?" House asked, a nervous expression overtaking his features.

"How am I going to go to work looking like this?" she whispered.

"Easy. You're not going to go back to work," House replied.

"I can't take time off! I'm working on the hospital budget, I have Chase's surgery to schedule, and I have to prevent you from killing your next patient and getting the hospital involved in a whopping lawsuit!" Cuddy said.

"What are you gonna do when the baby's born? Give birth in the rice fields and go back to farming with the kid in a papoose on your back?" House snarked.

"How many different cultures did you just insult in that one question?" Wilson asked.

"I'm an equal- opportunity offender," House shot back.

Just then, Dr. Kline, the surgeon who operated on Joey, walked into the ER area and started talking to another nearby doctor.

"So leather jacket guy with the stab wound's gonna make it," another doctor said off- handedly to his colleague.

"Oh yeah? Lucky kid," the other doctor said, slightly disinterested.

"Yep. Looked like a real asshole though," the surgeon commented.

Having overheard the doctor's conversation, House's expression darkened.

He then abruptly left the ER area, grabbing a nearby wheelchair and pushing it out with him, leaving Wilson, Debbie and Cuddy completely confused. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At the same time Cuddy was being examined in the ER, Sophie quietly walked into Joey's recovery room, closing the door gently behind him.

Joey was lying on the hospital bed, hooked up to an IV in his arm. He opened his eyes when he heard the door close behind Sophie and gave her a tired smile.

"Hey," Sophie whispered, feeling tears well up in her eyes as she approached the bed.

"You really wanna do this for a living? It's kinda gross," Joey asked her in a raspy voice.

Sophie chuckled. "Yeah, but you know me. I love horror movies," Sophie replied, feeling her own voice crack.

She pulled a nearby chair up to Joey's bed and sat down. Joey reached over and took her hand in his, barely able to lace his fingers through hers.

"So what'd you do to piss someone off enough for them to stab you in the gut?" Sophie asked him knowingly.

"Why do you assume this happened because of something I did?" Joey asked her, trying to keep the embarrassed grin off his face.

Sophie glared at him in utter disbelief.

Joey exhaled. "I met this guy at one of the low limit tables," he began.

"I could tell he was a pro by the way he was playing… so after I found out he was in the tourney, I figured I should get rid of all my competition…" he continued.

"… and I knew that you weren't gonna work with me…" Joey said with a slight shrug.

"So I promised him ten percent of the take if he bailed out early in the game…" he said, trailing off.

Sophie listened to his explanation with a thoughtful look on her face.

"And then he wanted more than ten percent," she finished for him.

"Yeah," Joey admitted with a tiny nod.

"But what if you didn't win? I was holding my own—" Sophie began.

"You threw the hand on purpose. I knew you didn't have the Trip Kings," Joey interrupted.

"…How did you know?" Sophie asked him, truly surprised that he had known what she was holding during their last hand.

"Because I know you…" he said, taking a deep breath and exhaling before continuing.

"…and I know that you don't want this kind of life," he added, almost sadly.

"You don't have to have this kind of life either," Sophie told him gently, squeezing his hand in hers.

Joey tsked in slight annoyance. "Babe, we've been over this," he said.

"You just won two- hundred grand. You could do _ANYTHING_ with that money. You could invest it, you could go back to school—" she argued gently.

"You're always trying to save me," he told her with affection.

Sophie smiled with closed lips. "It runs in my family," she said.

"And don't pretend that I'm suddenly a good guy just because I'm lying in this bed," he added.

"You _ARE_ a good guy. You just make stupid choices, you idiot," Sophie said.

Joey had to laugh at that. He slowly brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it.

"Sophie… I know I would have probably bled to death in that parking lot if it wasn't for you…" he began.

"But this is how I live… and I'm not gonna change," he told her. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"You _CAN'T_ go in there!" Cameron stated firmly to Chase.

"No? Watch me," Chase said angrily, trying to get past her.

Cameron placed her hand on Chase's chest and stood in front of him, blocking his path.

"Chase, stop for a minute and think about Sophie," Cameron said.

"I _AM_ thinking about Sophie. I want her as far away from Joey as possible!" Chase yelled.

"If you tell him _NOW_ in front of her that the guy who stabbed him also attacked Cuddy, she'll blame herself for Cuddy's assault," Cameron told him.

"This wasn't her fault!" Chase exclaimed.

"I know it wasn't! But if she _DOES_ blame herself, the two of you will never be the same again," Cameron said, her eyes blazing with intensity.

Chase exhaled deeply and finally backed up, taking a seat again in the chair behind him.

Just then, House went past them pushing the wheelchair he had stolen from the ER.

"Where's Joey's recovery room?" House demanded of them.

"It's down that hallway? Why?" Cameron asked him, bewildered.

"It's always important to get up and around as soon as possible after surgery," House snarked, breezing past them as he head down the Spencer Wing.

Cameron and Chase look at each other nervously and immediately got up to follow him.

House looked through all the windows of each room until he saw Sophie sitting on a patient bed. Without knocking, he immediately entered the room, pushing the wheelchair in front of him.

"What are you doing here?" Sophie asked him in surprise.

House ignored Sophie and focused on Joey in his bed.

"I'm Doctor House. Feel like going for a spin?" he asked Joey. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few moments later, House pushed Joey, who was only wearing a hospital gown, in the wheelchair into the ER, where Cuddy, Wilson and Debbie were. Sophie, Cameron and Chase were following closely behind them.

House pushed Joey in the wheelchair right up to where Cuddy was sitting so he could look directly at the trauma she sustained to her face.

Sophie's jaw dropped and her eyes widened in shock and horror upon seeing Cuddy for the first time that night since they had been at Lucky's Lounge.

"Lisa… w-what happened to you?" Sophie stammered.

"This is my girlfriend, Dr. Cuddy. Dr. Cuddy, say 'hello' to Joey," House said with mock friendliness.

"I just thought you'd like to meet her. You have something in common," House continued.

"Motley Crüe T- shirt jerk- off assaulted her in the bathroom after he stabbed Joey," House said.  

"… W-why?" Sophie managed to say.

"Because he was looking for YOU," House stated bluntly to Sophie, his eyes penetrating hers. "He figured you and Joey were working together."

A look of terrified epiphany slowly appeared on Sophie's face.

"…You… told me to get out of the Lounge…" Sophie whispered to Joey. "You knew he was coming after me..."

"Sophie…" Chase began gently, placing his hand tenderly on her back.

But Sophie's face was already as white as a sheet.

Wilson immediately went over to her and put his hands on her shoulders, turning her around to face him.

"Sophie, listen to me. This wasn't your fault," he told her firmly.

"…If I hadn't played in that stupid game…" she continued, staring into Wilson's eyes, feeling her stomach churning inside her.

"Oh god—" she cried in agony, doubling over.

Before she could run out of the room, Sophie vomited all over the floor of the ER.

TBC…


	52. Chapter 50

**HI EVERYONE!!**

**I LOVED LOVED LOVED LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE!!! CHASE IS THE SEXIEST MAN IN THE UNIVERSE!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

***************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 50: Please read and comment.**

"…You… told me to get out of the Lounge…" Sophie whispered to Joey. "You knew he was coming after me..."

"Sophie…" Chase began gently, placing his hand tenderly on her back.

But Sophie's face was already as white as a sheet.

Wilson immediately went over to her and put his hands on her shoulders, turning her around to face him.

"Sophie, listen to me. This wasn't your fault," he told her firmly.

"…If I hadn't played in that stupid game…" she continued, staring into Wilson's eyes, feeling her stomach churning inside her.

"Oh god—" she cried in agony, doubling over.

Before she could run out of the room, Sophie vomited all over the floor of the ER. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

About two hours later, Cuddy and House were waiting in a patient's room when the resident that had examined Cuddy walked in holding films from her CT scan.

"CT scan was clean. No breaks. Just bruising," the resident declared.

House snapped his fingers impatiently at the resident and motioned for him to hand over the films. The resident glared at him for a moment before giving the films over to House.

As House held up the films to the light to get a better look at the image, the resident turned to Cuddy, who was sitting up in the hospital bed with her legs crossed, holding a new ice pack on her cheek.

"We're going to keep you here overnight for observation," the resident told her.

"Is that really necessary? Besides the pain in my cheek, I feel fine," Cuddy said.

"I'm sorry, but we can't release you until tomorrow," the resident said.

Cuddy exhaled through her nose and nodded reluctantly, closing her eyes as she did.

The resident then took the films from House and headed out, leaving House and Cuddy in the patient's room alone.

House grabbed the remote off the night- stand next to the bed, turned on the TV that was mounted high on the wall and began to flip through the channels.

"I ask you. What's the point of watching 'Baywatch' reruns on a 13 inch screen?" House asked Cuddy.

"They think I'm going to have a psychotic break," Cuddy muttered.

"Probably," he agreed as he gave Cuddy a sidelong glance before turning his attention back to Pamela Anderson's breasts bouncing up and down on the TV.

"I'm not going to have a psychotic break, Greg," Cuddy stated firmly.

House turned away from the TV again and focused his attention fully on Cuddy.

"You were attacked. You _SHOULD_ be having a psychotic break," House pointed out.

Cuddy looked away from House's stare and focused on the TV.

"You got there in time," Cuddy muttered.

"You didn't know that I would," House said.

Cuddy looked away from the TV again to face House.

"But you _DID_, and that's what matters," she told him.

House continued to stare at her thoughtfully as she took the remote out of his hand and changed the channel.

House narrowed his eyes as she started channel surfing.

"You should know that I don't believe anything you just said," House told her.

"Well you should, because I'm fine," Cuddy replied.

House raised his eyebrows.

"Ok," he said simply.

Cuddy finally settled on the Travel Channel, which was showing a special on Top Ten Caribbean Beaches.

"Oh good. More bikinis," House said as he focused on the program.

"And you shouldn't have brought Joey in here," Cuddy told him.

"I wanted the little ba$tard to see what he did to you," House replied.

"He doesn't CARE what he did to me. He doesn't even know me," Cuddy stated, turning towards him.

House did his best to focus on the TV, avoiding her look, but he couldn't.

Because he knew what Cuddy was going to say next.

"All you did was traumatize Sophie," Cuddy said evenly.

House looked down slightly from the TV, but said nothing.

"_And this wasn't her fault_," Cuddy added firmly.

"If she hadn't been in that poker game, that guy wouldn't have come after you," House said gruffly, unable to look her in the eye.

At this, Cuddy inhaled slightly.

She tried to push the images out of her mind of her attacker, feeling a wave of nausea as the memories began to flood back to her.

She blinked hard and shook her head almost imperceptibly, as if trying to erase the events that kept playing over and over in her head.

"You're just lucky that Wilson didn't kill you for what you did to his sister," Cuddy said, barely above a whisper. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time, Chase, Sophie and Wilson were back in Chase and Sophie's hotel room at Mohegan Sun.

Sophie was lying on her right side, curled up on the edge of the right side of the bed, her right hand tucked underneath the pillow, with her eyes closed.

Wilson was sitting on a chair next to the bed, holding onto her left hand in his, stroking the top of it gently with his thumb.

Chase was lying on his side on the bed behind her, his arm wrapped around her waist as he softly rubbed her belly over her army green tank top that she was still wearing since the poker tournament that evening.

They had been in that position since they had returned from the hospital almost two hours ago, when Sophie had vomited because she had been so overwhelmed when she saw what had happened to Cuddy.

"I think she finally fell asleep," Chase whispered to Wilson.

"I'm awake," Sophie said in a soft voice.

Wilson gave Chase a worried glance, but put a sweet smile on his face when Sophie opened her eyes.

Chase kissed her shoulder and continued to rub her abdomen.

"How's your tummy?" he whispered gently to her.

"Still uneasy," she mumbled.

"You want some soda? Sometimes that helps," Chase offered.

"Ok…" she said.

Chase kissed her cheek. "I'll be right back," he assured her as he went over to the mini fridge and took out a can of sprite for her.

Sophie sat up and leaned against the pillow behind her. When Chase returned to the bed and sat down next to her, he popped open the soda can for her. Sophie took a few sips, and then handed it back to him.

"You don't have to stay here," Sophie told Wilson in a raspy voice.

Wilson felt his heart ache as he gazed at Sophie's exhausted expression on her face.

"I don't mind," he said good- naturedly.

"Debbie's waiting for you in the room. You shouldn't leave her there by herself," she argued weakly.

"She understands why I'm here," Wilson said, patting her leg affectionately.

Sophie turned to her brother, managing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I'm glad you two found each other," Sophie said sincerely.

Wilson smiled with closed lips.

"And I'm glad you found each other, too," he said, nodding his head at the two of them.

Chase smiled softly. He placed Sophie's soda down on his night- stand, placed his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. Sophie leaned her head against Chase's chest as Chase shifted his position on the bed so she could be more comfortable against him. He kissed her forehead, leaving his lips against her skin and wrapped his arms around her.

Wilson gazed at Chase and his sister fondly as she nestled against him, wrapping her arms around him.

But his expression darkened as thoughts of House's antics earlier in the evening entered his mind.

"I can't believe House pulled that stupid stunt with Joey," Wilson muttered.

"He was upset," Sophie said with a tired shrug.

"That's no excuse," Wilson said.

Wilson paused, exhaling. "And I should have known what he was doing," Wilson added remorsefully.

Chase raised his eyebrows at Wilson, while Sophie didn't move as she inhaled Chase's scent to comfort herself.

"I saw him leave the ER with the wheelchair. I should have known where he was going," Wilson said.

"You're not his babysitter, you're his _FRIEND_. It's not your job to watch his every move," Sophie said, still leaning against Chase.

"Being a babysitter is _PART_ of the job description of being House's friend," Wilson said.

At this, Sophie laughed half- heartedly.

"I guess I take after you in that department," she admitted.

Chase laughed softly. "Yeah, but we won't hold that against you," he joked.

Wilson grinned, sensing that it was time for him to go back to his room. He leaned forward closer to Sophie and kissed her cheek.

"If you need me, call. Ok?" he told both of them.

"Ok," Chase said with a nod and a slight smile.

Wilson patted Sophie's shoulder one more time and quietly left their hotel room, closing the door behind them. As the latch clicked closed, Chase caressed Sophie's cheek, looking down at her.

She kept her face against his chest and didn't look up at him as Chase's fingers brushed against her cheek.

"Do you want to shower?" Chase asked her in the same gentle voice.

"Mmm mmm," Sophie said, shaking her head.

"Then how about we just change our clothes, ok?" Chase suggested.

"…Ok," she agreed.

Chase moved to get off the bed, but Sophie wouldn't let go of him.

Chase looked back down at her, tilting her chin up to meet his gaze, seeing sadness and slight fear in her eyes.

"I'm just gonna get you something to wear. I'll be right back, ok?" Chase asked her.

Sophie nodded and reluctantly let go of him, allowing him to get off the bed.

As Chase rummaged through the hotel dresser drawers that Sophie had put her clothes in, she curled up once again with the pillow that Chase had been resting on.

"Sophie…" Chase began as he turned around, holding a white lacy baby doll nightie and a matching lacy thong.

"Did… you bring anything else to sleep in besides this?" he asked her tentatively.

Sophie looked up from the pillow, saw what Chase was holding and shook her head.

"…No," she admitted.

Knowing that Sophie wasn't in any frame of mind to wear what he had found in the dresser, he placed it carefully back in the drawer and began to open one of the drawers that he had placed his own clothes in.

"That's ok. I'll give you one of my t- shirts," he told her, pulling out a soft, light grey t- shirt of his.

He then headed back to the bed and sat down next to her.

Sophie didn't move a muscle.

"C'mon. Let me help you," he said to her her gently.

Sophie met his eyes and finally sat up on the bed. She lifted her arms up as Chase pulled her tank- top over her head, revealing a pink, soft cotton bra underneath.

Unsure if Sophie wanted to take off her bra, Chase hesitated. But Sophie undid the clasp in the back and pulled it off her body, staring at the bed as she did so.

"Put this on, honey," Chase told her, holding the t- shirt out for her to take.

But Sophie, still naked from the waist up, didn't move.

She just kept staring at the bed.

"…I got that for you," Sophie mumbled.

"I couldn't… wait to show it to you…" she continued, shaking slightly.

"Sweetie, put the t- shirt on," Chase coaxed her softly.

"I was… planning on changing in the bathroom for you, and… making a grand entrance…" she continued, as if she hadn't heard him, laughing slightly as she spoke.

"Sophie…" Chase said, placing his hands on her cheeks, trying to get her to look at him.

"I couldn't wait to see your face when you saw me in it…" Sophie said, still not looking at him, shaking even more.

Chase felt anxiety rise inside him as he tried to get Sophie to focus on him.

"I couldn't wait to… feel you… k-kissing me… t-touching me… with this on…" she said, almost babbling.

"I'm sure you look beautiful in it, sweetie," Chase said, hoping that his words would snap her out of whatever she was experiencing.

Suddenly, Sophie looked into Chase's eyes, his hands still on her cheeks.

"I wanted you to make love to me in that," Sophie whispered sadly, as if it would never happen.

"I will. I promise," he assured her, his own voice rising in pitch.

"…S-She looked awful," Sophie managed to say, her lower lip quivering.

"She's gonna be fine," Chase said to her, caressing her cheek.

"What if she's pregnant?" Sophie said worriedly.

"If she is, I'm sure that nothing happened to the baby," Chase told her, locking her eyes with his.

"_This wasn't your fault_," Chase said slowly, hoping that his words would get through to her.

But Sophie didn't respond as she looked into Chase's eyes.

"Now let's just get dressed, ok?" he asked her.

After staring at Chase for a few more moments, she finally nodded.

"…Ok," she acquiesced.

TBC…


	53. Chapter 51

**HI EVERYONE!**

**WELL, I STRUGGLED A BIT WITH THIS CHAPTER...  
**

**BUT I THINK I'M HAPPY WITH WHAT I ENDED UP WITH.**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND REVIEWING! IT MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO ME.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY! :-) **

*************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 51: Please read and comment.**

Sophie was naked from the waist up, stammering as she spoke.

"…S-She looked awful," Sophie managed to say, her lower lip quivering.

"She's gonna be fine," Chase said to her, caressing her cheek.

"What if she's pregnant?" Sophie said worriedly.

"If she is, I'm sure that nothing happened to the baby," Chase told her, locking her eyes with his.

"_THIS WASN'T YOUR FAULT_," Chase said slowly, hoping that his words would get through to her.

But Sophie didn't respond as she looked into Chase's eyes.

"Now let's just get dressed, ok?" he asked her.

After staring at Chase for a few more moments, she finally nodded.

"…Ok," she acquiesced.

Sophie took the grey t- shirt that Chase was holding and listlessly put it on, covering her bare breasts and torso. Chase helped her take her long, wavy hair out of the back of her t- shirt as she did so, letting it cascade down her back.

"Do you want to take your jeans off?" Chase asked her.

Sophie nodded in silence.

Chase helped her stand up off the bed, and then began to get down on both his knees onto the carpeted floor.

"Honey, no. You'll hurt your leg," Sophie protested as he went down.

"I'm fine," Chase told her with a soft smile.

Sophie placed her hands on Chase's shoulders for balance as Chase undid the button and zipper of her jeans. She lifted her legs out of them one at a time so Chase could take them off.

Chase couldn't help but smile at the sight of the hem of his t- shirt coming down to the middle of her thighs, covering her pink, cotton low- rise string panties.

"You're short," Chase joked, hoping it would make her smile.

Sophie chuckled half- heartedly. "I know," she replied.

"And you're cute," he added as he looked into her eyes.

The corners of Sophie's lips turned upwards at his compliment. Her eyes were sad as she caressed his face gently, but didn't say anything in response.

"I'm gonna wash up," she told him instead.

"Ok," he replied with a nod.

Sophie then went into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. While she was in there, Chase pulled the heavy comforter off the hotel bed, folded it up and placed it on the couch. He pulled back the lighter blanket and flat sheet that was underneath it.

Chase then pulled his own t- shirt over his head and took off his jeans. Clad in his boxers, he headed over to the dresser, found a pair of plaid pajama pants and slipped them on.

A few moments later, Sophie came out of the bathroom, smiling inwardly at the fact that Chase had turned down the bed for her.

But she couldn't seem to get the smile to her face.

She just made her way to the bed and crawled underneath the covers.

Chase watched her forlornly as she curled up in a ball underneath the blanket, facing away from him.

"I'm just going to wash up myself. I'll be right back," he felt obligated to say.

Sophie nodded, still facing away from him.

---------------------------------------------------------------- 

A short time later, Chase came out of the bathroom, having washed his face and brushed his teeth.

Sophie was still curled up, almost in a fetal position underneath the blanket.

He exhaled quietly and got into the bed with her, pulling the blanket over both of them as he pressed the front of his body against her back.

Chase slipped his arm around her waist. As he did, Sophie immediately took his hand in hers and pulled it up closer to her face, so his entire arm was wrapped around her body. She took his hand and placed it against her mouth and cheek.

Chase bent his knees, curling his legs up behind hers, spooning behind her almost exactly in the same position she was in.

He then delicately nuzzled the back of her neck with his nose, placing gentle kisses on her skin.

Sophie closed her eyes as his lips softly brushed against the nape of her neck.

"Robbie…" Sophie whispered.

"Yes, baby," Chase whispered back.

"… Can we go see Lisa tomorrow morning in the hospital before they discharge her?" she asked him in a small voice.

Chase hesitated for a moment before answering, wondering if it was such a good idea for Sophie to go see Cuddy again.

But he didn't want to upset her further.

"…If you want to," Chase said tentatively.

Sophie nodded. "I do," she said.

"All right," Chase said, hoping that they weren't making a huge mistake.

They lay there in silence for a few more moments as Chase held her tightly against him, continuing his soft kisses against her neck.

"It should have been me," Sophie suddenly said in a tiny voice.

At this, Chase stopped kissing her. He pulled his head back as Sophie turned around in the bed to face him.

"...What do you mean?" Chase asked her, having a sickening feeling that he already knew what she meant.

Sophie swallowed before she continued. Chase could see that her breathing was beginning to shallow.

"If that guy had found me first… instead of Lisa… he never would have bothered her… and she'd be fine—" Sophie said between anxious breaths.

Chase shook his head vigorously, placing his hand on her cheek, locking his eyes with hers.

"Sophie, listen to me," he told her firmly, never breaking his gaze.

"This is _JOEY'S_ fault. _NOT YOURS_," Chase stated adamantly, his eyes boring into her.

Sophie pressed her lips together, breathing out of her nose instead of her mouth.

"…And if _ANYTHING_ had happened to you…" Chase continued, his mouth beginning to twitch.

"…I don't know what I would have done," Chase admitted, his voice cracking.

Sophie's lips parted. Her breath began to become more labored at the sight of Chase's anxiety and the tears that were beginning to pool in his eyes.

"What if it was you in that bathroom?" Chase asked her nervously.

"What if… I didn't have the sense to go in there to look for you like House did for Cuddy?" Chase said, his voice almost an octave higher.

By now, Sophie's lower lip was quivering.

Her hands shaking, she touched his cheeks and pressed her lips against his.

The tears ran down Chase's cheeks as their lips parted against each other, their kiss becoming desperate. Chase wrapped his arms around her and pulled her as close to him as he could.

Never breaking their kiss, Sophie breathing became ragged as she quickly pulled the t- shirt that Chase had given her over her head and tossed it haphazardly away from her.

They held onto her tightly as they kissed, her bare breasts pressed tightly against his chest.

She wound her leg around his hip as he continued his urgent kisses.

Sophie could feel her cheeks become wet with Chase's tears.

By the time they had shed the rest of their clothing, Sophie couldn't tell whose tears were whose as they made love. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Early the next morning, Chase woke up to the feeling of his ankle throbbing mercilessly.

He automatically reached over for his bottle of Vicodin that was on the night- stand and swallowed two of them as he propped himself up on his elbow.

He then turned over and reached out to Sophie's side of the bed.

But all he felt was the empty sheet.

He quickly sat up in the bed once he realized that Sophie wasn't in the bed with him, feeling the panic rise inside his chest.

But he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Sophie sitting on the couch across the room, wearing the grey t- shirt that he had given her, her legs tucked underneath her, talking quietly on her cell phone.

He flopped back down on the bed, leaned on his side facing her and propped himself up on his elbow.

Sophie smiled apologetically at him as she continued her conversation.

"So we'll meet you in the lobby in an hour?" Sophie asked into her phone.

"K. We'll see you then," she said before closing her phone.

"Who was that?" he asked her as his heart began to slow down.

"Jimmy," she replied. "He said that he'd go with us to the hospital."

"Come back to bed," he told her, stretching his arm out to her.

Sophie got off the couch and crossed the room to him. He took her hand as she climbed back into the bed, nestling under the blanket. He pulled her against him while she lay her head down on his bare chest, entwining her legs in his. Chase kissed her forehead as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I'm sorry I scared you," she said.

"It's all right," he replied.

"How's the pain?" she asked him.

"Same," he told her.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked, knowing that there wasn't.

"The Vicodin'll kick in soon," he reassured her.

Sophie tsked as she caressed his bare chest.

"I should be taking care of you right now. Not the other way around," she muttered.

"We can take care of each other," Chase offered sweetly.

They lay there in silence together as Sophie listened to the dulcet sound of Chase's innocent heart murmur.

"I guess you'll have to tell the surgeon about your heart murmur before they do the procedure on your ankle," Sophie commented.

"Yep," Chase replied.

"You should also tell them about your strawberry allergy," she reminded him.

"It's in my file, but I will," he reassured her with a smile.

Sophie lifted her head and placed her chin gently on his chest, looking up at him. Chase brushed a stray lock of wavy hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. She smiled with closed lips at his gentleness.

"Are you scared?" she asked him.

Chase exhaled. "Very," he admitted.

"…Would it help to know that I'll be there right before they put you under… and that I'll be there when you wake up?" she asked him tenderly.

Chase pulled her up a little more onto his body. Sophie took care not to bump his ankle as he did so.

"A lot," he told her sincerely.

Sophie kissed his soft, full lips lovingly before resting back down on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her once more, slipping his hand underneath the grey- t- shirt that she was wearing, caressing her back gently.

"… Are you sure you want to go see Cuddy?" he asked her carefully.

"Yeah, I'm sure," she told him.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Chase and Sophie looked at each other quizzically. Chase moved slightly to get up out of the bed, but Sophie stopped him before he could.

"I'll get it," she told him. "You just lay there and let the Vicodin do its job."

"Yes ma'am," Chase teased her.

Sophie laughed a little as she got out of the bed. Chase couldn't help but grin as he admired how she looked in his grey t- shirt and nothing else while she walked away from him and towards the door.

"It's Allison," Sophie stated as she opened the door.

Cameron looked surprised to see Sophie standing in the doorway.

"… Oh. Hi, Sophie," Cameron said.

"…Hi Allison," Sophie replied.

Cameron couldn't stop herself from looking Sophie up and down, feeling the jealousy rise within her upon seeing that Sophie was wearing Chase's t- shirt and nothing else.

"Were… you not expecting to see me?" Sophie asked with a chuckle.

"No, I just—" Cameron began quickly.

"I think she didn't expect you answer the door half naked," Chase interrupted Cameron as he walked up behind Sophie to greet Cameron at the door.

Cameron felt her pulse quicken as she looked at Chase wearing only his pajama bottoms and no shirt.

"Come in," Chase offered as he and Sophie stepped away from the door.

Cameron entered the room tentatively as Sophie glanced at the digital clock on the night- stand.

"We're meeting them in forty- five minutes. I should go shower," Sophie told Chase.

Chase kissed Sophie lightly on the lips.

Cameron brushed away the ache in her chest as Chase kissed her.

"Save some hot water for me," he told her.

Sophie nodded and turned around to head for the bathroom, closing the door behind her as she went inside.

"We're heading over to the hospital with Wilson and Debbie in an hour. We're meeting them in the lobby. You wanna come with?" Chase asked Cameron.

"Sure," Cameron replied, trying to sound casual.

"We can have breakfast first. There's a Starbucks downstairs," Chase suggested.

"Sounds good," Cameron said.

"So is the phone broken in your room?" Chase asked her.

"Why would you ask me that?" Cameron asked, furrowing her brow.

"Because you came down here without calling first," Chase replied, giving her an impish smile.

Cameron felt her heartbeat quicken once more at the way he was looking at her.

"I just wanted see if you—" Cameron began, stopping in mid sentence.

"If the two of you were ok," Cameron finished.

Chase looked at her thoughtfully.

"… We're fine," he finally said.

"Good. I'm glad," Cameron told him.

"So… you'll meet us in the lobby, then?" Chase asked.

"Sure," Cameron replied.

Chase walked Cameron to the door and opened it for her.

She turned to face him once more, meeting his eyes with hers.

"… Thank you," she told him demurely.

Chase looked into her eyes, noticing that they were sparkling beautifully.

"… You're welcome," he finally said.

As Chase closed the door after Cameron left, he wondered if there was something to the fact that she corrected herself in mid sentence and that her eyes were more intense than he had seen in a long time.

TBC…


	54. Chapter 52

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND POSTING! I RESPONDED TO ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS INDIVIDUALLY!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE READ, COMMENT AND ENJOY!! :-) **

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**CHAPTER 52: Please read and comment.  **

Around an hour later, Chase, Sophie, Cameron, Wilson and Debbie tentatively entered Cuddy's room at Backus hospital.

Cuddy had already changed out of her hospital gown and into a clean set of pink scrubs with the words '**Backus Hospital**,' embroidered in blue lettering, and socks with treads on the bottom of them that one of the nurses had given to her.

The swelling on Cuddy's lip had disappeared.

But the deep purple bruises that covered an entire side of her face had still remained.

Her clothing from the night before was in a plastic, white shopping bag that was resting on a nearby chair.

House was sitting on another chair that he had slept on all night, watching her intently as she sat on the edge of the bed and talked on her cell phone.

"Who's she talking to?" Wilson asked House in a hushed manner.

"Cohen," House replied.

"My boss?" Chase asked, scrunching up his face in bewilderment.

"She's scheduling your surgery," House explained, never taking his eyes off Cuddy as she continued her conversation.

Chase looked dumbfounded.

"Already?" Chase asked.

"You want to wait? I didn't realize that you and the tumor were BFF," House snarked.

"…No… I just thought—" Chase began in hesitation.

"That she was too traumatized from being attacked in a public bathroom to do her job?" House finished for him.

"…Well, yeah," Chase admitted in slight embarrassment.

Upon hearing Chase and House's conversation, Cuddy placed her hand over the mouthpiece of her phone and turned her attention towards them.

"I'm fine," Cuddy said before taking her hand off the mouthpiece again.

House and Chase exchanged glances in silence as Cuddy continued her conversation.

"…Thanks so much, Brad. Enjoy your Sunday," Cuddy said into the phone before closing it.

"Ok, your surgery is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 9 AM, and the pre- op is tomorrow morning, same time," Cuddy said to Chase in a professional manner.

Chase struggled not to look horrified at the sight of Cuddy's extensive bruising on her face.

"… Thank you," Chase said quietly.

"It looks worse than it feels," Cuddy assured him, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

Just then, the resident that had admitted Cuddy last night entered the room with her discharge papers.

"Ok, Dr. Cuddy. You're good to go," the resident said, handing her the paperwork.

"I was good to go last night," she muttered as she signed in the appropriate places and handed the papers back to the resident.

"I'm giving you a short script for Tylenol 3. It's safe to take if you're pregnant. Side effects include lightheadedness, dizziness, sedation—"

"I know the side effects," Cuddy interrupted curtly.

House smirked slightly as the rest of the group looked at each other uncomfortably.

"I also recommend that you think about post- traumatic counseling," the resident continued. "I'm sure there are excellent resources at Princeton Plainsboro—"

"I'm _FINE_," Cuddy asserted again, a bit more harshly that she intended.

The resident exhaled, exchanging glances with House. House merely shrugged and said nothing.

"Good luck, Dr. Cuddy," the resident told her before leaving the room.

"Finally. I can't _WAIT_ to get out of here and have a hot shower," Cuddy stated to everyone after the resident had left.

"Then let's go back to the hotel, shower, pack and get the hell out of here," House suggested innocently.

Suddenly, the color began to drain from Cuddy's face.

"… The hotel?" Cuddy repeated softly.

"… Why can't we just go home from here?" Cuddy asked, the nervousness creeping into her voice.

"Because all of our stuff is back at the hotel," House reminded her lightly.

"...Oh… right," Cuddy remembered.

Wilson shot an angry glare at House and stepped closer to Cuddy.

"We can swing by and pack everything for you. With the five of us, it'll only take a few minutes," Wilson told her.

"And we'll check out for you so you don't have to worry about that, either," Debbie offered.

Cuddy nodded in relief. "… Thank you," she said, exhaling.

Sophie, who had been quiet up until now, stepped forward tentatively, holding a pair of white Converse All Star low top sneakers without laces in her hands.

House stared at Sophie stoically, knowing that if he brought up the fact that he still felt that Cuddy's injuries were partly her fault, that Wilson would most likely give him identical bruises to Cuddy's.

"…I brought you a pair of my sneakers, like you wanted," Sophie told her, placing the sneakers on the bed next to her.

Cuddy smiled gratefully. "Thank you very much," she replied.

Sophie nodded and watched as Cuddy shifted backwards on the bed and began to place the sneakers onto her feet.

"I'm lucky we're the same size," Cuddy said with a chuckle.

But Sophie didn't laugh.

"Lisa I'm so sorry," Sophie told her remorsefully.

Cuddy shook her head vehemently. "This wasn't your fault," she told her.

Sophie pressed her lips together and tried to hold back the tears that were pooling in her eyes. Cuddy placed her hands firmly on Sophie's shoulders.

"You didn't cause this. And you didn't know that this was going to happen," Cuddy told her, looking directly into Sophie's eyes as she spoke.

"But if that guy had found me, I could have given him the money that I won from the tournament and he never would have bothered you—" Sophie began.

"Listen to me," Cuddy interrupted her gently.

She quickly glanced over Sophie's shoulder and met Chase's eyes, which were full of worry, and looked back into Sophie's eyes.

"How's Chase gonna recover from his surgery if you're gonna fall apart on him?" Cuddy asked Sophie with a sardonic smile.

Sophie couldn't help but laugh. Chase smiled as well behind her.

"I don't want you to give this a second thought," Cuddy told Sophie.

She then turned back to House.

"Now let's just get out of here," she told him as she got off the bed.

House raised his eyebrows slightly, not believing Cuddy's strength and bravado for one moment.

But again, he didn't say anything as he pushed himself off the chair to leave the room.

"You wanna see Joey before we leave?" Chase asked Sophie.

"No," Sophie stated firmly.

"I'm just going to use the bathroom. Then we can get going," Cuddy said, heading towards the bathroom.

Once Cuddy shut the door behind her, Wilson pulled House over to a far corner in the room.

"What the hell are you doing?" Wilson demanded in a hushed whisper to House.

"I thought I was leaving," House said innocently.

"I can't _BELIEVE_ that you'd want to bring Cuddy back to the hotel! Don't you think she's traumatized enough?" Wilson asked angrily, trying to keep his voice down.

"Of _COURSE_ she's traumatized," House stated.

"Which is why she has to go back there. She's in complete denial. The sooner she accepts what's happened to her, she sooner she'll be able to get over it," House explained.

Wilson laughed in disgust. "You're such an ass," he said.

"Now give me the card keys to your room and take Cuddy home," he said, slowly and evenly, holding out his palm.

House gaze remained on Wilson before he reluctantly handed him the card keys that were in his pocket since the night before. 

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A short while later, Wilson, Debbie, Chase, Sophie and Cameron were back at the hotel in House and Cuddy's room, collectively gathering and packing House and Cuddy's clothing and personal items for them.

As the women and Chase were making sure that they had taken everything out of the hotel room dresser and closet, Wilson was reading over the express check- out form that had been slipped under House and Cuddy's door early that morning.

"We need to drop this off before we leave," Wilson told Debbie.

"That's easy. They have drop boxes downstairs for the forms and the card keys," Debbie told him.

Wilson nodded. "Why don't you guys finish up here and we'll take care of this to save some time?" he asked Chase, Cameron and Sophie.

"Sounds good," Chase replied as he placed some of House's t- shirts in House's suitcase.

"Robbie, do you mind if I go with them to check out?" Sophie asked Chase. "I hardly spent any time with my brother this weekend."

Chase smiled softly at her and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Go ahead," he told her.

Sophie smiled lovingly at him and brushed his lips with her own.

As they kissed, Cameron looked away and continued to place Cuddy's clothing in her suitcase.

After Sophie turned away from him to leave the hotel room with Wilson and Debbie, the smile disappeared from Chase's face. He went back to emptying out the dresser in silence.

"Sophie seems to be doing better," Cameron commented as she folded Cuddy's clothing neatly into Cuddy's suitcase that was resting on the bed.

Chase shrugged. "I guess," he said.

"You don't think that she is?" Cameron asked.

"I think that it's gonna take time before she really gets over this," Chase said as he went back over to the bed and tossed House's t- shirts into his open suitcase without bothering to fold them.

Cameron nodded in agreement. "It was traumatic for both of them," she said.

At this, Chase pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek as a dark expression overtook his features.

"Did you see the way House was staring down Sophie in the hospital?" Chase asked her, the ire seeping through his voice.

Cameron met his eyes for a moment, but then looked back down at Cuddy's suitcase.

"He's such a bastard," Chase muttered angrily.

"He sure is," Cameron agreed.

Chase looked up at her in total shock, his eyebrows raised tremendously. Cameron looked back up at Chase with confusion.

"What?" she asked.

"I just… never expected you to say that. I was waiting for something like, '_it__ wasn't his fault… Sophie would have found out anyway_—" Chase began.

"She didn't have to find out by House wheeling Joey into Cuddy's room like that," Cameron pointed out.

Chase gazed at her contemplatively for a moment as he smiled at her fondly.

"Why are you smiling?" Cameron asked him.

"I was just thinking about how long it's been since we first started working for House," Chase told her.

Cameron matched his fond smile, feeling her heart flutter at his disarming expression.

"We've been through a lot together," she agreed.

"And… I like that you like Sophie," he added.

Cameron's smile faded for an instant, but then she forced the corners of her mouth upwards again.

"She's a very sweet girl," Cameron said.

Chase nodded. "So I guess you're going back to Manhattan tomorrow?" he asked her.

Cameron exhaled. "Unfortunately," she mumbled.

"Why don't you just move back to Princeton? The rent's cheaper and I'm sure Cuddy would give you your job back in the ER," Chase said.

"I'm not going to bother Cuddy right now. She's got enough to deal with," Cameron said dismissively.

"That's not why you don't want to come back," Chase stated.

Cameron froze for a moment.

'_DOES HE KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT HIM_?' she thought to herself.

Chase took her hand and sat down with her on an empty part of the bed. Cameron tingled at the soft touch of his thumb rubbing against the back of her hand.

"You don't want to come back to Princeton because you think that it means you're giving up," Chase declared.

'_NO, I DON'T WANT TO COME BACK TO PRINCETON BECAUSE IT BREAKS MY HEART EVERYTIME I SEE YOU WITH SOPHIE_,' she thought in silence.

But instead of sharing her feelings, she remained quiet and let Chase continue.

"It took a lot of courage for you to leave Princeton and move to Manhattan, but why would you want to go back there?" Chase asked her.

Cameron paused for a moment before answering him.

"I can't… just keep running away every time things don't work out with a man in my life," Cameron told him, knowing that her response was only partially truthful.

Chase kept his gaze on her as she collected her thoughts.

"I moved to Princeton when I lost my husband…" she began.

"…And I moved to Manhattan when I lost you," she said softly, looking down at her lap.

"You never lost me," Chase told her.

Cameron looked up from her lap to see Chase smiling at her sweetly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

"I mean that I can't imagine my life without you in it," he told her simply.

Cameron could feel her heart beating in her ears at Chase's words, trying to convince herself that there was nothing more to his statement than just friendship.

But the tiny shred of hope deep down within her that Chase still felt something for her wouldn't fade away.

"And how many friends have you made in New York?" Chase asked her, oblivious to the conflict raging within her.

"Do co- workers count as friends?" Cameron joked with a sad chuckle.

"In Princeton, you have people who care about you," Chase said sincerely.

"…Like you?" Cameron asked.

"Yes," Chase said with a smile.

Cameron nodded, desperately trying to ignore the way that her emotions were tearing her apart.

"I'll think about it," she finally said.

TBC…


	55. Chapter 53

**HI EVERYONE!**

**CHASE WAS AMAZING IN LAST NIGHT'S EPISODE!!**

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**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

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**CHAPTER 53: Please read and comment.**

Around two hours later, Chase and Sophie had returned to Princeton.

Sophie opened the door to Chase's apartment with his key as Chase carried in both their suitcases, placing them near the front door. Sophie took the front door key out of the lock and handed the key ring to Chase.

Chase walked over to the couch and tossed the key ring casually into a tiny, shallow frosted pink glass bowl with small, smooth stones that was resting on the end table next to the couch.

He then flopped down onto the couch with a deep exhale.

Sophie grinned. "So you're using the key bowl I got for you, huh?" she asked, tossing her packback purse onto the couch.

"A real man isn't afraid of pink," Chase quipped, patting his thigh.

Sophie chuckled, took off her jacket and sat down on his lap, tousling Chase's hair as she did so.

She had brought the key bowl from her own apartment in Boston the last time she had visited, because Chase was always misplacing his keys.

"That's not what you said when I first brought it for you from my apartment," she teased.

"Well, I've seen the error of my ways," he teased back with a shrug as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him on his lap.

Sophie wound her arms around his neck, leaned forward and kissed him sweetly.

"Why don't you go relax and I'll unpack your stuff for you?" Sophie offered.

"I can unpack," Chase said.

"That was a long trip. Your ankle must be hurting you and you're probably exhausted," Sophie said.

"I slept almost the entire way home and you did the driving. You're the one who should be exhausted," Chase pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm nine years younger than you, so…" Sophie said, trailing off into a broad grin.

Chase's mouth gaped open in mock horror, unable to keep the corners of his lips from turning upwards. He gave her a playful swat on her, followed by a gentle squeeze.

"You're gonna pay for that, little girl," Chase said coyly.

"Just go relax," Sophie told him.

Chase shook his head. "Not yet," he told her.

He then cupped her cheek with his hand and lowered his mouth onto hers, kissing her searchingly. Sophie's eyes fluttered closed as he kissed her. She moaned softly into his mouth, feeling weakened by his kiss as his tongue lightly danced with hers.

"I'm so glad you're here," Chase murmured against her mouth.

"So am I," Sophie breathed.

"I can't wait to be in our bed with you tonight," Chase told her.

"And I love that you call it 'our bed' even though I don't live here yet," Sophie replied, her lips still exploring his.

She then reluctantly broke off their kiss.

"Now go relax," she told him, pushing herself off his lap.

Chase patted her ass once more as she got off of him. He then watched her with a smile as she took both suitcases and began to roll them towards the bedroom.

"Should I just dump everything in the hamper?" she asked him.

"Honey, you really don't have to do that," Chase told her.

"You're the one who said you wanted my bras and panties to get mixed in with your laundry, remember?" Sophie said with a wink.

Chase laughed in response, remembering what he had said to her on his knees in front of a large crowd of people in the Poker Room at Mohegan Sun that weekend.

But as she disappeared into his bedroom with the suitcases, he wondered if her much brighter mood since leaving Backus Hospital two hours ago was merely a front to avoid dealing with her real feelings.

Just then, Sophie's cell phone beeped in her purse, indicating a text message.

"Honey, you got a text," Chase called out.

"Could you check it for me?" Sophie called back from the bedroom.

Chase opened her purse and opened her cell phone, pressing a few buttons to view the message.

"It's from a Dr. Lucas?" Chase said to her.

"He's my Chief Resident. I sent him a text that I'm going to have to miss school for the week to take care of you," Sophie replied as she began to empty both of their suitcases to sort their laundry from the weekend.

Chase nodded as he read the message.

And as he did, his smile slowly disappeared.

After a few moments, Sophie came out of the bedroom, noticing Chase's surprised and somber expression.

"What does it say?" Sophie asked curiously.

Chase looked away from her phone and back up at her.

"…He said that if you don't come back to school by Wednesday he's going to fail you for Grand Rounds for the semester," Chase told her.

Sophie paused for a moment.

And then she shrugged.

"Oh well," she said casually.

Chase raised his eyebrows in surprise at her cavalier reaction. He shook his head slowly in confusion as she headed back to the bedroom. Chase pushed himself up off the couch and followed her, taking her cell phone with him.

"I'm putting our jeans into a separate load," Sophie said as she continued sorting their laundry.

Chase continued to stare at her in bewilderment.

"We should probably go food shopping, too. I'd rather not live on take out all week while I'm here," she commented.

Chase blinked twice, wondering if he had just slipped into the Twilight Zone.

"Did you hear what I just said?" Chase asked her.

"I heard you," Sophie replied.

"You're gonna fail Grand Rounds! You can't miss school for a week to stay here," Chase told her.

"What does it matter? I already have to make up my rounds during the summer when I transfer here because Princeton refuses to accept the credit from Boston," Sophie reminded him.

"If you fail Grand Rounds in Boston, Princeton might not accept your transfer at all!" Chase exclaimed.

Sophie dropped the pair of jeans she was holding onto the bed and turned towards him.

"I'm not leaving you," she stated emphatically.

"And I'm not letting you stay," Chase stated just as strongly.

"What are you gonna do? Kick me out of here with your one good leg?" Sophie countered, arching her eyebrow.

"If I have to, yes!" Chase declared.

"Then you'll fall down," Sophie said, a grin forming on her face at the end of her sentence.

Chase paused only for a second before laughing out loud, causing Sophie to laugh as well.

"C'mere," he told her, taking her hand in his as he placed her cell phone on his night stand.

With his free hand, he shoved the laundry aside on the bed to make room for them to sit. He pulled her down to sit next to him, now holding her hand with both of his.

"I love that you want to take care of me," Chase began sincerely.

"But you need to go back to school," he told her.

"But how are you going to manage all week?" Sophie asked him.

"I'll hire a private nurse," Chase replied.

"For the week?! Do you know how expensive that is?" Sophie asked.

"It's only for three days," Chase told her with a shrug.

"If you want someone in a naughty nurse outfit to give you a sponge bath, I could do it for free, you know," Sophie joked.

"Oooh," Chase said sexily.

Sophie waggled her eyebrows and grinned as he gazed at her thoughtfully.

"You sound like you're feeling better," Chase commented.

"I am. Talking to Cuddy helped… and I was thinking about everything on the drive home," Sophie admitted.

"And?" Chase asked.

"And… I know it wasn't really my fault that Cuddy was attacked," Sophie said.

"…But you're still feel guilty about it," Chase said knowingly.

Sophie shrugged, not answering him.

Chase continued to gaze at her as her cell phone rang on his night- stand. Chase leaned over and picked it up to see who was calling her.

"…It's Joey," Chase said as he read the Caller ID.

Sophie shook her head, indicating that she didn't want to answer it.

Chase exhaled, nodded and placed the phone back down on the night- stand, letting it ring before her voice mail picked up the call. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Later that evening, Cuddy and Debbie were in Cuddy's bedroom.

Cuddy was sitting at her makeup vanity on a small rolling bench, looking into the mirror at the bruises on her face.

Her raven hair was pulled back in a pony tail away from her face.

Debbie was standing next to her, looking through a small makeup bag that she had brought with her. She pulled out a light- colored tube of Lancome liquid foundation and handed it to her.

"Try this. It should cover the bruises pretty well," Debbie said to her.

"Thanks," Cuddy said, taking the tube of makeup from her.

As she applied a small amount of foundation over her cheekbone, she scrutinized her face to see if the makeup did, in fact, hide the bruising.

"That's not too bad, right?" Cuddy asked Debbie optimistically.

Debbie looked into the mirror, trying to find a diplomatic way to tell her that the bruises were still visible underneath the makeup.

"You can still see them," House said bluntly from the doorway.

Cuddy looked at his reflection through the mirror. He was leaning against the door frame, holding his cane with a penetrating gaze on her.

"I didn't ask you," Cuddy muttered.

"I know," House said, still staring at her.

Debbie, feeling slightly uncomfortable, continued to search through her makeup bag, finding a small jar of cream.

"… I brought some Vitamin K cream, too. It should help the bruises fade," Debbie said to Cuddy, handing her the jar. "And I also brought other foundation shades."

"Or you can forget the makeover and just wait a few days for the bruises to fade before going back to work," House suggested.

"I'm not waiting a few more days. I have too much to do," Cuddy declared.

"The hospital isn't going to burn down because you're not there," House pointed out.

"If I leave you unattended there, it just might," Cuddy quipped.

Debbie remained silent, feeling more uncomfortable by the second.

"Let's try the Vitamin K cream and one of the other foundations," Cuddy suggested.

House limped into the bedroom with his cane, moving closer to them.

"So your plan is for your face to be in denial just like you are?" House demanded.

"Wilson's in the living room. Why don't you annoy him?" Cuddy snapped.

"Because you think that by scheduling Chase's surgery and jumping back into your routine that everything's just going to be all right again. Wilson doesn't," House retorted.

"I scheduled Chase's surgery because _HE NEEDS SURGERY_," Cuddy argued.

"You don't want to stay home because it means you have to be _ALONE_ in this house," House stated.

At this Cuddy froze.

House was now standing directly behind her, locking gazes with her in the mirror.

"And that _TERRIFIES_ you," House said.

"I'm not terrified," Cuddy said, trying to sound more sure of herself than she really was.

"You were scared to even go back to the hotel to get our stuff in broad daylight," House said accusingly.

Cuddy spun around to face House, her soft grey eyes blazing with anger.

"What do you want from me?!" Cuddy demanded.

"I want you to admit that this scared the _CRAP_ out of you and stop lying to yourself!" House exclaimed.

"Why? Because it'll prove you're _RIGHT_?!" Cuddy shouted.

"No, because it'll _HELP YOU THROUGH THIS_!!" House shouted back.

Cuddy could feel her heart racing. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

She then turned back to the mirror and sat back down on the small rolling bench in front of her vanity table.

"Maybe we should mix both colors," Cuddy suggested calmly to Debbie.

Debbie glanced at House, who was visibly furious.

Without saying another word, House left Cuddy's bedroom and the two women.

He headed into Cuddy's living room, where Wilson was sitting on her couch, flipping through the channels on her TV.

House sat down next to Wilson and ripped the remote out of his hand.

Wilson merely raised his eyebrows lightly, having heard his and Cuddy's entire heated conversation.

"She's impossible," House muttered under his breath.

"Maybe you should take it easy on her," Wilson suggested.

"Maybe _YOU_ should take your accountant girlfriend who apparently always had dreams of being a cosmetologist back to your apartment," House shot back.

"_SHE'S_ helping Cuddy, unlike _YOU_," Wilson pointed out.

"Pretending this never happened isn't helping her. She needs to deal with this," House said.

"Right now, this _IS_ how she's dealing with this," Wilson stated.

House kept his eyes on the TV as he aimlessly flipped through the channels.

"I know you're worried about her," Wilson said.

"But you have to let her go through this at her own pace," Wilson added. 

---------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time, back in Manhattan, Cameron was in her apartment.

She was sitting at her kitchen table, in front of her laptop.

On her desktop was an advertisement on realtor. com for a one bedroom apartment in Princeton, New Jersey.

As she looked at the ad, she picked up her phone and dialed the number listed on the website.

She waited patiently as the phone rang three times before someone on the other end picked up.

"Yes, hi. I'm calling about the apartment for rent?" Cameron asked into the phone.

TBC…


	56. Chapter 54

**OK, EVERYONE!!**

**BUT HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

***************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 54: Please read and comment.**

"_SUNDAY MORNING RAIN IS FALLING… _

_STEAL SOME COVERS SHARE SOME SKIN… _

_CLOUDS ARE SHROUDING US IN MOMENTS UNFORGETTABLE... _

_YOU TWIST TO FIT THE MOLD THAT I AM IN…_

Monday morning, at around 7:30, Sophie woke up in Chase's bed to the sound of  Maroon 5 from Chase's alarm clock and feeling of Chase's lips on her stomach.

Sophie smiled as she looked down at Chase, who had nestled his body in between her thighs. He had lifted the hem of her cotton camisole and was brushing his lips against her toned abdomen.

"Good morning," Sophie said happily as she watched him trace her bellybutton with his tongue.

"Uh huh," Chase murmured while he trailed slow, languid kisses up her torso.

_"BUT THINGS JUST GET SO CRAZY LIVING LIFE GETS HARD TO DO _

_AND I WOULD GLADLY HIT THE ROAD GET UP AND GO IF I KNEW _

_THAT SOMEDAY IT WOULD BRING ME BACK TO YOU… _

_THAT SOMEDAY IT WOULD BRING ME BACK TO YOU…"_

"You're in a good mood," Sophie commented as she gently ran her fingers through his tousled hair.

"I sure am," Chase agreed as he lifted her camisole up, exposing her breasts.

Sophie's breath caught upon feeling his lips on the taut peak of her erect nipple.

"…And why's that?" Sophie managed to ask him, shuddering at the tingles he was making her feel between her legs and everywhere else.

Chase looked up at her with his blue- green eyes sparkling.

"Because I woke up with you," Chase told her simply.

Sophie could feel her heart swell at his words. She bit her lower lip and traced his entire face lovingly with her eyes.

_"THAT MAY BE ALL I NEED _

_IN DARKNESS SHE IS ALL I SEE _

_COME AND REST YOUR BONES WITH ME _

_DRIVING SLOW ON SUNDAY MORNING _

_AND I NEVER WANT TO LEAVE…"_

Chase positioned himself on top of her and began to kiss her neck. Sophie tilted her head back, allowing him easier access as she wound her arms and legs around him.

"I hate to discourage you, but you have your pre- op in an hour and a half," Sophie reminded him softly.

"Plenty of time," Chase replied huskily, kissing his way back down her collarbone as he cupped her breast in his hand.

_"FINGERS TRACE YOUR EVERY OUTLINE… _

_PAINT A PICTURE WITH MY HANDS… _

_BACK AND FORTH WE SAY LIKE BRANCHES IN A STORM _

_CHANGE THE WEATHER STILL TOGETHER WHEN IT ENDS…"_

"…Are you in pain?" Sophie whispered, caressing his back.

"Took my pill a half- hour ago…" Chase told her, reaching down to squeeze her ass, pressing his pelvis against her.

Sophie nodded, a soft gasp escaping her lips as she felt his arousal. She arched her back in pleasure at the feeling of him against her.

"Are you nervous about the pre- op?" Sophie murmured.

Chase looked back up at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Does it look like I'm nervous?" he quipped.

Sophie smiled mischievously.

"Oh, that's too bad. I had an idea to help you relax," she said coyly with a shrug.

Chase arched his eyebrows, his interest suddenly piqued at her smile.

"I'm _VERY_ nervous," Chase stated.

Her smile widened into a broad grin. She then rolled him over onto his back, hovering on top of him.

"Yeah, I thought so," she said teasingly.

With that, Sophie disappeared underneath the blanket.

As Chase felt Sophie slide his boxers down past his hips, and her warm, wet mouth envelop his shaft, he thanked some deity that he was an early riser. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------

At around 9 AM that same morning, Cuddy was sitting in her car, parked in her spot in front of the hospital.

She was staring at the entrance to the building, watching people enter through the sliding glass doors.

But she didn't reach for the handle of the door or turn off her engine.

She merely stared at the building, unable to move a muscle.

Suddenly, she heard a knock at her driver's side window. Completely startled, she jumped in her seat.

As she sharply turned her head towards the window, she exhaled in relief to see it was Wilson standing next to her car.

She turned off the engine, unbuckled her seatbelt, grabbed her purse and briefcase on the passenger seat and opened the door.

Wilson stepped back several inches to let her exit her car, not commenting on the rather large and dark sunglasses she was wearing in an attempt to cover her face.

He also didn't mention the fact that the makeup that Debbie had given her didn't completely camouflage the bruises on her cheek.

"Where's Debbie?" Cuddy asked, knowing full well what Wilson was thinking as he tried not to stare at her face.

"She had some work to do, so she went in early today," Wilson replied.

Cuddy nodded, closing her car door behind her. Wilson and her began to walk towards the entrance to the hospital.

"Where's House?" Wilson asked.

"He never comes in this early," Cuddy said with a shrug.

Wilson paused before continuing, thinking of the best way to say what he had to say.

"…I figured that today he'd make an exception," Wilson said carefully.

"Guess not," Cuddy replied lightly as she continued to walk towards the hospital entrance.

"Is… he trying to prove a point, or are you?" Wilson asked her.

Cuddy stopped walking and turned to face Wilson.

"I don't see a reason to stay home just because I have a couple of bruises," Cuddy stated.

"YOU might not see a reason, but people in that building are gonna talk once they see you," Wilson pointed out.

"So let them," Cuddy said flippantly as she continued her journey up the path to the entrance of the hospital.

Wilson grabbed her hand to stop her.

"You don't have to do this," Wilson stated firmly to her.

Cuddy stared at him through her dark glasses for a moment.

She then took her hand out of his and walked into the hospital. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Around an hour later, Chase was in an exam room with in the surgical wing of the hospital, sitting on top of an examining table, wearing a hospital gown.

Sophie was sitting in a nearby chair, holding Chase's leather jacket on her lap.

She had been watching a resident and a nurse work together to examine Chase, give him the appropriate pre- operative tests, record his vitals and take his history.

"Any allergies?" the resident asked.

"Strawberries," both Chase and Sophie answered in unison.

The resident nodded and noted the allergy on the form he was currently filling out as Chase winked at Sophie. She gave him a lopsided smile in return.

"Any pre- existing conditions?" the resident asked.

"I've had an innocent heart murmur since I was a child," Chase replied, turning back to the resident, watching him write down what he said.

"Ok, thank you very much. Dr. Cohen should be in to see you shortly," the resident said.

Chase nodded and smiled lightly as the resident and the nurse left Chase and Sophie in the room alone.

Chase exhaled and leaned back on his hands behind him.

"I hate waiting," Chase muttered, lolling his head back.

"It's the hardest part. They even wrote a song about it," Sophie joked.

Chase chuckled half- heartedly in response.

"And don't think I didn't know what you were doing this morning," Sophie added.

"What are you talking about?" Chase asked.

"You know that I'm nervous about your surgery, so you figured you distract me with sex," Sophie replied.

Chase gave her an impish grin. "Did it work?" he asked sheepishly.

"It didn't hurt," Sophie said, smiling with her tongue in between her teeth.

"So are you going back to school Tuesday night or what?" Chase asked her.

"You wanna get rid of me that badly?" Sophie asked him with an arched eyebrow.

"No, I want you to stay with me forever. But you've gotta go back or you'll fail—" Chase began.

"I know. I'm going back," Sophie interrupted him dejectedly.

She then got up off her seat and walked towards him. Chase spread his legs apart slightly as she stood in front of him. He wrapped his arms low about her waist, pulling her closer to him.

"I just don't want you to be alone," Sophie told him sadly as she put her hands on his shoulders.

"I'll be all right," Chase told her softly.

Sophie tried to smile as he reassured her, but she couldn't quite manage it.

"We still didn't decide who can help you during your recovery," Sophie reminded him.

"I'll hire that naughty private nurse you suggested," Chase said, trying to lighten the mood.

Sophie's jaw dropped in mock horror, trying to stop the grin that was forming on her face.

"I never suggested that you _HIRE_ a nurse. I suggested that _I DRESS UP_ like a naughty nurse," Sophie clarified, swatting his chest lightly with the back of her hand.

"Hey, no abusing the patient," Chase teased. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

It was 10 AM and Cuddy was in the Clinic, standing at the Charge Nurse's station.

She kept staring at the doorway, hoping that House would come in, steal a lollipop and act like an ass like he usually did.

But so far, he hadn't shown up.

While Cuddy tried to distract herself with the charts in front of her, she noticed that Nurse Brenda, who was sitting behind the station, kept staring at her.

"Brenda, is there something you wanted to say to me?" Cuddy asked in a leading manner, never looking up from the chart she was currently perusing.

"No," Brenda said quickly. "I was just…" she said, trailing off.

Cuddy looked up at Brenda, causing her to look away slightly.

"You were just _WHAT_?" Cuddy asked.

Brenda gave her a sympathetic expression.

"… If there's anything I can do—" she began.

"I'm fine," Cuddy interrupted her, looking back down at the chart.

Brenda paused for a moment. She drew in a breath and pressed her lips together.s

"…Did… House do that to you?" Brenda asked, wincing as she did.

Cuddy looked up sharply at Brenda with a shocked look on her face.

"NO! Of course not!" Cuddy exclaimed.

"Of course not," Brenda repeated quickly, holding her hands up and shaking her head, kicking herself mentally for even suggesting such a thing.

At that moment, a horrifying realization dawned on Cuddy.

"… Is that what people are saying?" Cuddy asked.

Brenda didn't answer, but she didn't have to.

The embarrassed look on her face spoke volumes.

"Oh god…" Cuddy whispered. 

-------------------------------------------------------------- 

Twenty minutes later, Dr. Cohen, the Chief of Surgery and Chase's boss, walked in to Chase's exam room holding Chase's chart.

"Good morning, Chase," Cohen said.

Chase sat up a bit straighter in his gown. "Morning, Dr. Cohen," he said cordially.

"I was looking at the films that House took a few weeks ago. I'm ordering an X-Ray," Cohen said flatly.

Chase furrowed his brow and exchanged a confusing glance with Sophie.

"Why?" he asked in bewilderment.

Cohen stared straight into his eyes.

"Because I think House made a mistake with your diagnosis," Cohen stated.

TBC…


	57. Chapter 55

**HI EVERYONE! **

**THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 55: Please read and comment.**

"Good morning, Chase," Cohen said.

Chase sat up a bit straighter in his gown. "Morning, Dr. Cohen," he said cordially.

"I was looking at the films that House took a few weeks ago. I'm ordering an X-Ray," Cohen said flatly.

Chase furrowed his brow and exchanged a confusing glance with Sophie.

"Why?" he asked in bewilderment.

Cohen stared straight into his eyes.

"Because I think House made a mistake with your diagnosis," Cohen stated.

Chase blinked a couple of times, still staring at his boss.

"… What kind of mistake?" Chase asked.

"I don't think you have a tumor," Cohen declared.

"…Then what's causing the pain?" Chase said, a bit stunned.

"Based on the MRI, it's my medical opinion that you have a benign cyst," Cohen replied.

Chase looked over at Sophie, who was equally as shocked at he was at the news that Cohen had just given him.

"But I do think that House was correct about the location," Cohen added, opening up Chase's chart.

"Based on the scan, your sprain did cause nerve entrapment and the development of the cyst. And the cyst is pressing on a nerve near your talus bone, which most likely explains the pain you've been experiencing," Cohen said.

"So then why bother with an X- Ray?" Chase asked.

"An X- Ray will rule out a stress fracture or osteochondritis dessicans. If it's either of those, you won't need surgery," Cohen explained.

"… That's wonderful!" Sophie said happily, her entire face lighting up.

But Chase wasn't smiling.   "No it's not," Chase said, meeting Cohen's eyes.

"You don't want to do the surgery," Chase stated in a challenging manner to his boss.

"Apparently House's late breaking epiphanies have rubbed off on you," Cohen said in exasperation.

"If it's a benign cyst, a stress fracture or OD, you won't have to cut into me and you won't risk paralyzing me or getting sued," Chase said.

"Chase, if there's no reason to open you up—" Cohen began.

"If you don't open me up, _I'll continue to be in pain_," Chase argued.

"We can put you on a pain management regimen," Cohen offered.

"I've already been to rehab once for Vicodin addiction, and I'm not going back," Chase said firmly.

"We'll find a non- opiod regimen, then," Cohen said.

"Like what? Advil?" Chase said sarcastically.

Cohen exhaled deeply and looked down at the ground briefly.

"I want it out," Chase told him.

"Then I'm sorry, but you'll have to find another surgeon to operate on you," Cohen told him.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few moments later, House was in his private office, sitting at his desk, staring at his computer screen. Foreman was sitting across from him in one of the chairs near his desk, reading Forbes magazine.

"Did you know that Omar Epps has a twitter account?" House asked.

"Didn't realize you were into stalking celebrities," Foreman remarked.

"Hey, if he didn't want me to know when his laundry day was, he wouldn't be posting it on here," House replied.

Foreman chuckled and went back to reading his magazine when Cuddy opened the glass door and marched into his office.

Foreman glanced up momentarily and began to look back at his magazine.

But then he did a double- take when he saw the partially covered bruises all over Cuddy's cheek.

"People seem to think that you did this to me," Cuddy stated once she was standing in front of House's desk.

"And that surprises you?" House replied, never taking his eyes off the screen.

"Yes!" Cuddy exclaimed.

Foreman's eyes almost bugged out of his head as he looked back and forth between House and Cuddy.

"You came to work with a black and blue face. And the makeup only makes it more noticeable, by the way," House said.

"You would _NEVER_ raise your hands to me!" Cuddy declared emphatically.

"And the rest of the hospital would know that because I'm sleeping with them, too?" House countered.

Cuddy felt her entire body stiffen in anger at House's casual attitude.

"You don't care that people are saying you assaulted me?" Cuddy asked him.

"People talk about people. What can I do about it?" House replied with a shrug.

A short chuckle escaped Cuddy's lips.

"I don't even know why I bothered coming in here," Cuddy said in disgust.

"That makes two of us," House said.

Cuddy shook her head furiously, turned on her heel and left House's office, pushing the door open roughly behind her.

"That went well," House said to Foreman.

"What happened to Cuddy?!" Foreman demanded.

House paused and looked away from Foreman's piercing stare.

"She was attacked this weekend in a public bathroom…" House mumbled.

Before Foreman could ask House how that could have possibly happened, Chase strode into House's office.

"Cohen refuses to do the surgery on my ankle," Chase told him.

"And you're telling me this because…" House began as he turned away from Foreman and towards Chase.

"Because you've been overseeing my case and my treatment," Chase reminded him patiently.

"I diagnosed you. The rest isn't up to me," House muttered.

"He said you _MISDIAGNOSED_ me," Chase said.

House looked away from his computer and turned to Chase with interest.

"He said it's not a tumor, but a benign cyst. He also wants to do an X- Ray to rule out stress fracture or OD," Chase told him.

"It's not a stress fracture and it's not OD," House said dismissively.

Chase raised his eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest as he stared at House.

"And I didn't misdiagnose you," House added.

"Then what do we do?" Chase demanded.

House paused thoughtfully. "Your boss refuses to do the procedure…" he began, pausing once more.

"So we go to _HIS_ boss," House finished. 

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

A short while later, Chase and House were in Cuddy's office, standing in front of her desk.

Cuddy was staring back at both of them in complete disbelief.

"You want me to order Cohen to do the surgery?" Cuddy clarified.

"I figured telling people what to do was part of your job description," House said.

"If Cohen doesn't want to do the surgery, I can't force him," Cuddy stated.

"Maybe it's just a perk," House remarked to Chase.

"If Cohen thinks the surgery is too risky, then he thinks that for a reason," Cuddy said, ignoring House's snark.

House chuckled. "You're angry at me, so you're making Chase suffer?" he asked.

Cuddy shot House an angry glare and stood up from her desk.

"This has _NOTHING_ to do with us. This has to do with Dr. Cohen," Cuddy said.

"Right," House said in complete disbelief.

Chase remained quiet throughout their standoff.

"You want me to quell the rumors that I assaulted you? Fine," House suddenly said.

He then turned around and left Cuddy's office towards the crowded Clinic. Once he was standing in the middle of the room, he cleared his throat loudly.

"**_I DIDN'T BEAT UP LISA CUDDY_**!" House said on the top of his lungs.

The entire room went silent at House's announcement.

By now, both Chase and Cuddy had left Cuddy's office and were standing a few feet away from him.

Chase exhaled and looked at the ground, thrusting his hands into his pockets. Cuddy was holding her head in her hands.

Sophie, who was sitting in chairs, waiting for Chase this entire time, merely blinked as she watched House continue.

"_**SHE GOT ATTACKED IN THE MEN'S ROOM BY SOME RANDOM DIRTBAG OVER THE WEEKEND IN A CASINO BATHROOM. THE GUY'S IN JAIL, PRESUMABLY WITH A BROKEN FACE**_," House continued in the same loud voice.

He then turned back to Cuddy, who was rubbing her forehead in aggravation.

"Happy?" House asked her.

Cuddy sighed and slumped her shoulders.

"Chase, I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do," she told him.

She then walked back into her office, leaving Chase, House, Sophie and a completely shocked roomful of Clinic patients and doctors.

"Take a picture. It'll last longer," House snarked to everyone.

"What exactly are you trying to achieve here?" Chase asked him.

"I'm trying to make Cuddy realize that she made a stupid choice by coming in today," House told him.

"So you think she should stay home and stare at her face all day in the mirror?" Chase asked with a grimace.

House ignored Chase's expression and walked out of the Clinic.

Sophie then immediately got up out of her seat and went after him with Chase following her.

"Did you ever think that Cuddy just wants to get her life back to normal as soon as possible?" Sophie demanded of House as he continued to limp away.

Suddenly, House stopped in his tracks and turned sharply to face her.  

"Her life isn't going to go back to normal until she accepts what happened to her," House stated, his bright blue eyes intense.

"So you want her to break down and cry hysterically," Sophie shot back.

"Yes," House said with a nod.

"It's amazing that you didn't become a therapist," Sophie snarked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Did you cry on Saturday night after you saw what happened to Cuddy?" House demanded.

Sophie shook her head slightly, taken aback by his words.

Chase's eyes widened as he felt the anger rising inside him at House's intrusive quesiton.

"I mean, _after_ you stopped vomiting all over the ER in Backus Hospital," House clarified.

Sophie swallowed.

"…Yes," she whispered.

"And do you feel better?" House asked her.

At that moment, Sophie gazed at House in realization.

"Yeah, I do," she admitted. 

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Later that afternoon, Chase and Sophie were at the Princeton Campus Coffee Shop, sitting at a small table together. Sophie took a sip of her iced vanilla latte as Chase played with the paper from her straw between his fingers, staring at the table top.

They had just left the hospital a short while ago after Chase's X- Ray.

"So I guess House was right about you not having OD or a stress fracture," Sophie said.

Chase nodded. "Guess so," he mumbled.

They sat there in silence for a few minutes as a scowl appeared on Chase's face.

"House is such an asshole," Chase muttered.

Sophie exhaled. "He thinks that Cuddy's in denial," she said.

"She might be, but he had no right to ask you that," Chase stated.

"I'm tougher than you think," Sophie said with a smirk.

"I know how tough you are. I still don't like the way he spoke to you," Chase repeated.

"You're also not thrilled that Cohen doesn't want to do the surgery and that Cuddy couldn't do anything to help you," Sophie told him.

Chase tsked. "I knew that going to Cuddy wouldn't do anything," Chase said in a low voice.

Sophie pressed her lips together and placed her hand on top of Chase's hand on the table.

"Maybe Cohen's right. Maybe it _IS_ too risky to remove it," Sophie suggested.

Chase shrugged and closed his eyes briefly, but didn't say anything.

"Are you worried that it might be malignant?" Sophie asked gently.

"Not really," Chase replied.

"Because we can always go see Jimmy if you are," Sophie offered.

"It's not malignant," Chase said in a brusque manner.

At first, Sophie felt put off by the aloof and irritated way Chase was speaking to her.

But she knew that he had enough to deal with and didn't want to make it worse for him. So instead, she rubbed the top of his hand gently with her thumb.

"We'll figure this out," Sophie said to him in a gentle voice.

Just then, the door opened to the Coffee Shop and Cameron walked in.

Sophie's back was to the door and didn't see her.

But Chase did.

And his entire face immediately brightened upon seeing her.

"Hi!" Chase said to Cameron in pleasant surprise.

Sophie turned around and saw that Cameron was walking towards them with a smile on her face.

"Hey, how are you?" Cameron asked, walking up to them.

Once she reached their table, she leaned over and gave Chase a peck on her cheek. He kissed her back and she sat down at the table with them.

"Ok. What are you doing here?" Chase asked her.

Cameron's smile remained. "I'm apartment hunting," she revealed.

Chase's jaw dropped slightly and a grin formed on his face.

"I'm taking your advice and moving back to Princeton," Cameron told him.

Sophie arched her eyebrows in shock as she turned her head towards Chase.

"That's fantastic!" Chase exclaimed.

"Well, you're the one who said that I have people here who care about me," Cameron replied with a playful shrug.

Chase nodded. "You do," he said with a soft and gentle smile.

Sophie felt her stomach rise up into her throat at the way Chase was looking and talking to Cameron, wondering why Chase never told her that he had advised her to move back to Princeton.

"So how'd the pre- op go?" Cameron asked both of them.

"Not so great," Chase said with a deep exhale.

"Why not?" Cameron asked with concern.

"Cohen won't do the surgery. He says it's too risky," Chase replied.

"For you or for him?" Cameron asked pointedly.

"Exactly," Chase agreed with a knowing laugh.

By now, Sophie could feel the jealousy begin to envelop her entire body.

But Chase didn't seem to notice.

"Which means if he won't touch it, then no other surgeon in that hospital will either," Chase continued, oblivious to Sophie's feelings.

Cameron looked at Chase thoughtfully.

"…So… then all you need to do is to find another surgeon who _WILL_ remove it," Cameron said.

"Well… yeah I guess…" Chase agreed.

Cameron took her phone out of her purse and pressed a number from her speed dial as Sophie and Chase watched her with curiosity.

"Who are you calling?" Sophie asked.

"My cheating ex- boyfriend who happens to be the Chief of Medicine at the second best surgical hospital in Manhattan," Cameron replied with a grin.

As Chase and Sophie exchanged glances, Sophie could see that Chase's entire face was radiating hope.

"Neil, it's Allison Cameron," Cameron stated over the phone in a business- like manner.

There was silence on the other end for a moment.

"He's in shock that I called him," Cameron said softly as she covered the mouthpiece of her phone.

"I'm fine," Cameron said into the phone after a pause.

She then locked eyes with Chase, whose eyes were sparkling in anticipation.

"But I need a favor…" she said into the phone.

TBC…


	58. Chapter 56

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS!!**

**I'M IN A TERRIBLE RUSH, BUT I PROMISE I WILL RESPOND TO ALL OF THEM TONIGHT!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!  
**

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**CHAPTER 56: Please read and comment.**

In Manhattan, Neil Stern was analyzing the hospital's latest budget report when the phone on his desk rang. Still looking at the spreadsheet in front of him and not bothering to glance at the Caller ID, he picked up the phone.

"Dr. Stern," Stern said in a professional manner.

"Neil, it's Allison Cameron," Cameron said on the other end.

Stern froze in his seat upon hearing Cameron's voice.

"… Hi Allison," Stern said eventually. "… How are you?"

"I'm fine," Cameron said cordially, pausing for effect.

"But I need a favor," she added.

"What's up?" Stern asked, still in shock that she had called.

"A good friend of mine needs surgery on his ankle, and I was wondering if you could help me out," Cameron told him.

"Why do you need my help?" Stern asked with curiosity.

Cameron exhaled. "It's… risky, and the surgical team at Princeton doesn't wanna touch it," she said.

"That's because Cuddy doesn't have the team we have," Stern said, the pride in his hospital evident in his voice.

"Which is why I'm calling you," Cameron said, confident that she had stroked his ego in just the right spot based on his response.

She was glad that Stern couldn't see her sly smile on the other end of the phone.

Stern paused for a moment. "…Did he have a pre- op already?" he asked.

"Yes," Cameron replied.

Stern paused again, exhaling deeply.

"… Send me the films and the pre- op records, and I'll ask Kenneth what he thinks—" he finally began.

"Thank you so much," Cameron said gratefully, giving Chase the thumbs up sign.

"--IF you go out for a drink with me," Stern interrupted her.

Cameron stopped in mid sentence, a smirk appearing on her face.

"We kinda left things unfinished, don't you think?" Stern asked her.

A tiny chuckle escaped Cameron's lips.

"Fine," she agreed.

"Great. I'll talk to you soon," Stern said in a chipper voice.

Cameron closed her cell phone, deciding not to think about what she had just agreed to. Instead, she focused back on Chase with a smile.

"So, what did he say?" Chase asked eagerly.

"He said to send him the films and the pre- op records… and he'll ask Dr. Eng what he thinks," Cameron replied.

Chase's eyebrows shot up. "As in… Dr. _KENNETH_ Eng?" he exclaimed.

"Mmm hmmm," Cameron said, her smiling broadening.

"Who's Dr. Kenneth Eng?" Sophie asked.

"He's one of the top twenty best surgeons in New York," Chase replied excitedly.

"AND the best surgeon at NYU," Cameron reminded him with glee.

Chase got up from his seat and kissed Cameron loudly on her cheek. Cameron blushed as his lips made contact with her skin.

And Sophie noticed.  "Cameron, you're amazing. I can't thank you enough," Chase said sincerely.

"Don't thank me yet. Eng hasn't seen your file," Cameron replied, feeling the blush on her cheek.

"Still… you didn't have to do this for me," Chase continued as he sat down.

Cameron smiled warmly at him, her eyes sparkling as she met his gaze.

"It's my pleasure," she told him.

Sophie could feel the pain in her heart spread through her chest at the way Cameron was looking at Chase.

Just then, Chase kissed Sophie lightly on her cheek.

"I'll be right back," Chase told her as he got up from his chair.

As he headed for the restroom of the Coffee Shop, Sophie watched him turn the corner and out of sight.

She then turned back to Cameron with an incredibly serene expression on her face, as if she was sitting at a poker table in front of an opponent that she was trying to hustle.

"That must have been difficult for you to ask your ex for a favor like that," Sophie commented casually, picking up her iced vanilla latte and taking a sip from it.

"Oh please. I don't care about him," Cameron said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Sophie put down her iced coffee and met Cameron with a cold stare.

"I know," Sophie stated pointedly. 

------------------------------------------------------------- 

Later that evening, Sophie was sitting on Chase's couch, reading over her note cards for the presentation she was supposed to give to her Chief Resident later that week. Chase was sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table, eating sesame noodles from a white Chinese take- out container with chop- sticks.

"You should eat something before I eat it all," Chase commented.

"In a minute," Sophie replied, not looking up from her cards.

Chase chuckled and reached over to the bottle of Pino Grigot on the table.

As Chase began to pour more wine in her glass, Sophie's cell phone rang on the couch next to her.

Sophie picked up the phone, glanced at the Caller ID, and promptly tossed the phone back onto the couch again without answering it.

"Joey?" Chase asked knowingly.

"Yep," Sophie said curtly, focusing back on her cards.

"You can't ignore him forever," Chase told her.

"I can try," Sophie said, flipping over another card.

"If you don't deal with him, you're just as bad as Cuddy," Chase stated.

At this, Sophie looked up from her cards.

"I'm not in denial. I _HATE_ him. There's a difference," Sophie said.

"He's just gonna keep calling you until you answer," Chase pointed out.

"He'll give up eventually," Sophie said with a shrug as she reached over for a carton of vegetarian lo- mein and a pair of chopsticks in a red paper package.

Chase chuckled, staring at her incredulously.

"He'll _NEVER_ give up on you," Chase told her.

"And why do you say that?" Sophie asked.

"Because he still _WANTS_ you," Chase replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Sophie arched her eyebrow as she opened the carton of lo- mein.

"Are you jealous?" Sophie asked playfully.

"Why should I be jealous of a loser that plays cards for a living?" Chase muttered as he took another generous bite of his sesame noodles.

Sophie felt her body completely tense up at Chase's remark, feeling insulted by what he had just said.

For a moment, she stared at him blankly as he continued to eat.

She then looked back down at her food.

"I guess we can't all have perfect exes," she said, the sarcasm heavy in her voice.

Chase looked up from his food and flicked a stray lock of blond hair out of his eyes with a toss of his head.

"And what's supposed to mean?" Chase demanded lightly.

"Can atheists apply for sainthood? Because Cameron would be a lock," Sophie snarked.

"If you're talking about the fact that she's helping me with my ankle, she's just being a good friend," Chase stated, not liking the tone of her voice.

"Yeah, _ALL_ my good friends call their exes to find the best surgeon to operate on them AND move back to the town I live in," Sophie said sarcastically.

"_YOU'RE_ the one who brought up the fact that she didn't have any friends in Manhattan while we were driving to the Casino," Chase reminded her.

"That was because YOU were sticking your nose into her private life and saying that she should dump Stern," Sophie retaliated.

"The guy cheated on her!" Chase exclaimed.

"And why do you care so much about her love life?!" Sophie demanded.

Chase was about to answer her when his own cell phone rang in the pocket of his jeans. He reached into his pocket and looked at the caller ID.

"Hi," Chase said into the phone.

Sophie took a small bite of her lo- mein and wiped her mouth with a nearby napkin as she listened to Chase's end of the conversation.

"That's great," Chase said. "Again, thank you so much."

Sophie, knowing that Cameron was on the other end of the line, put her carton down and took a large sip of her wine.

"… Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Chase finally said after a long pause in the conversation.

Sophie gazed at Chase patiently, waiting for him to end the conversation.

"…I'll have to get back to you on that," Chase said, glancing at Sophie for a split second and then back to the table top.

"Great. I'll call you tomorrow," Chase said before hanging up and placing his phone on the coffee table.

Sophie noticed that Chase still couldn't look her in the eyes.

"That was Cameron," Chase said.

"What did she say?" Sophie asked calmly.

Chase took a deep breath and let it out.

"…My surgery's scheduled for Wednesday morning at NYU hospital at 8:30 AM," Chase replied in a low, gruff voice.

Sophie's lips parted in surprise at the news.

"Wednesday morning?" Sophie repeated.

Chase met her eyes, but didn't answer her.

"I have to go back to school on Tuesday night. That means I won't be here for it," Sophie reminded him.

"I know… but I'll call you when it's over," Chase reassured her.

Sophie's eyebrows shot up to the top of her forehead.

"You'll '_CALL ME WHEN IT'S OVER_?" Sophie repeated in disbelief.

Chase lolled his head back and closed his eyes in exasperation.

"This entire weekend, you've been full of anxiety over this! Now all of a sudden, it's a walk in the park?!" Sophie asked him.

"Sophie, Eng is EXCELLENT and he's always booked solid. If he's willing to operate on me, I should do it," Chase told her.  

"What if Cohen's right and you don't need the surgery at all?" Sophie asked him.

"If I don't have the surgery, I'm gonna be in pain for the rest of my life and addicted to Vicodin. Is that what you want?" Chase demanded of her.

"Of course not!" Sophie said.

"Then do you see any other option?" Chase asked, a bit harsher than he had intended.

Sophie flinched ever so slightly at his harsh demeanor. She shook her head.

"Well, then there we are," Chase stated, picking up his wine glass and taking a generous sip from it.

Sophie nodded, pressing her lips together, knowing that there was much more to Chase and Cameron's conversation than he just revealed.

"So how are you gonna get into the city Wednesday morning?" Sophie asked him lightly.

"Cameron's… gonna send a car for me," Chase replied casually.

"And how long are you gonna be in the hospital?" Sophie asked, knowing that Chase was slow- rolling her, just like a player at a card table would if he had the winning hand.

"Assuming everything goes well, probably just one night. I'll be out by Thursday morning," Chase said, shrugging his shoulder.

"And how are you gonna get back home?" Sophie asked, maintaining her even tone.

At this, Chase met her eyes once more only for a brief moment before avoiding her stare.

"… Cameron… suggested that I stay at her place on Thursday and Friday," Chase mumbled.

Sophie stared at Chase only for a moment before laughing in disgust.

"Soph, it'll be much easier on my leg to drive a few blocks than to drive for over an hour back to New Jersey," Chase argued.

"Just another way of her helping out a good friend, huh?" Sophie asked in a biting tone.

"You don't know Cameron like I do. She loves charity cases," Chase told her.

"Trust me. You're not a charity case to her," Sophie asserted.

"Why are you so suspicious of Cameron?" Chase demanded.

"Because a few months ago, she couldn't give a _DAMN_ about you! Now all of a sudden, she's doing all this for you?!" Sophie shot back.

"So you're saying that Cameron has an ulterior motive for helping me?" Chase asked.

"She might," Sophie said.

"What could she _POSSIBLY_ gain?" Chase asked her, folding his arms across his chest.

"_**YOU**_," Sophie replied, slowly and evenly, staring into his eyes.

Chase laughed. "Gimme a break," he scoffed.

"How did you not notice the way she was looking at you in the Coffee Shop?" Sophie demanded.

Chase grimaced. "What are you getting at?" he asked.

"She's in _LOVE_ with you!" Sophie exclaimed impatiently.

"That's _RIDICULOUS_," Chase stated adamantly.

"Now who's in denial?" Sophie demanded angrily.

"You wanna help me? Fine. Stay the rest of the week and nurse me back to health. But don't blame me if you fail out of school," Chase told her, matching her angry tone.

"I don't want to fail out of school! I just want to love you and take care of you!" Sophie shot back.

Chase's angry expression immediately softened at her words.

"That's all I ever want to do," Sophie added sadly.

Chase pushed himself up off the floor with some difficulty and sat down on the couch next to her, taking her hand in his.

"I know that," Chase said gently. "But you have to go back to school."

"And how am I gonna concentrate while you're under the knife?" Sophie asked him.

"You don't think I'm incredibly nervous about this procedure? That you have to be under anesthesia? That the surgeon might paralyze you? About your heart murmur? About your recovery and having to go back on pain killers without risking addiction?" Sophie asked, gesticulating her arms as she spoke.

She then looked down at her lap forlorly.

"And I won't even be here when it happens," she added glumly, her mouth turning down.

At that moment, a surging pain shot up Chase's leg from his ankle.

And for some reason, something inside Chase snapped at her words.

"You know what, Sophie? This isn't about you," Chase told her, letting go of her hand.

Sophie snapped her head back up at Chase, truly stunned by what he had said.

"This is about _ME_," Chase said firmly, placing his hand on his chest.

"_I'M_ the one who's having the surgery. And _I'M_ the one who's going to have to deal with everything you just described. Not you," he stated.

"All you have to do is be the good girlfriend," Chase added.

Sophie could swear she felt something inside her crack. She swallowed as her heart began to hammer inside her.

"I thought I was," she said softly, her lower lip quivering.

Upon seeing her deep brown eyes begin to brim with tears, Chase immediately regretted what he had said. He ignored the throbbing pain in his ankle.

"I… didn't mean it that way. I just meant—" Chase began contritely.

"That I'm not being as selfless as Cameron," Sophie whispered.

Chase's breathing became shallow as the pain in his ankle intensified and as the hot tears spilled down Sophie's cheeks.

"I guess transferring medical schools, redoing my rounds over the summer and giving up poker for you isn't enough," Sophie said through her tears.

She then got up off the couch and headed to Chase's bathroom.

"Sophie, wait—" Chase said as he tried to get up off the couch.

"Just leave me alone, ok?" Sophie said to him, never looking back as she brusquely wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand.

As she slammed the bathroom door behind her, Chase jumped and winced.

He exhaled hard, reached into his pocket and took out his Vicodin.

He popped two pills in his mouth, washed them down with his wine, lay back against the couch and closed his eyes.

TBC…


	59. Chapter 57

**HI EVERYONE!**

**SORRY FOR THE DELAY, BUT I'VE BEEN ON VACATION.**

**BUT NOW I'M BACK!!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

************************************************************************* **

**CHAPTER 57: Please read and comment.**

"You know what, Sophie? This isn't about you," Chase told her, letting go of her hand.

Sophie snapped her head back up at Chase, truly stunned by what he had said.

"This is about ME," Chase said firmly, placing his hand on his chest.

"I'M the one who's having the surgery. And I'M the one who's going to have to deal with everything you just described. Not you," he stated.

"All you have to do is be the good girlfriend," Chase added.

Sophie could swear she felt something inside her crack. She swallowed as her heart began to hammer inside her.

"I thought I was," she said, her lower lip quivering.

Upon seeing her deep brown eyes begin to brim with tears, Chase immediately regretted what he had said. He ignored the throbbing pain in his ankle.

"I… didn't mean it that way. I just meant—" Chase began contritely.

"That I'm not being as selfless as Cameron," Sophie whispered.

Chase's breathing became shallow as the pain in his ankle intensified and as the hot tears spilled down Sophie's cheeks.

"I guess transferring medical schools, redoing my rounds over the summer and giving up poker for you isn't enough," Sophie said through her tears.

She then got up off the couch and headed to Chase's bathroom.

"Sophie, wait—" Chase said as he tried to get up off the couch.

"Just leave me alone, ok?" Sophie said to him, never looking back as she brusquely wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand.

As she slammed the bathroom door behind her, Chase jumped and winced.

He exhaled hard, reached into his pocket and took out his Vicodin.

He popped two pills in his mouth, washed them down with his wine, lay back against the couch and closed his eyes. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

That same evening, at around 9pm, Cuddy was walking through the parking garage of the hospital towards her car by herself.

Between working on the hospital budget, twenty other crises that had taken place during that day, dealing with House's antics of announcing to the entire clinic that House had not been the one who had assaulted her, and the pain she was still experiencing in her face, she was exhausted.

She was so tired that she didn't even realize how incredibly dark and empty it was in the parking garage.

But she immediately perked up when she heard footsteps echoing from somewhere behind her.

She turned around, expecting to see one of the doctors or nurses that she worked with everyday.

But she saw no one.

But she could still hear the echo of the footsteps from somewhere behind her.

As she approached her car, she began to nervously dig through her purse for her car keys.

"_WHY DIDN'T I TAKE MY KEYS OUT OF MY PURSE BEFORE I LEFT THE BUILDING_?" she silently berated herself.

As she fumbled for the keys, she could hear the footsteps getting louder behind her.

She was shaking like a leaf.

As she finally found her keys at the bottom of her purse, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

Without even thinking, her car keys clutched tightly in her fist, she spun around to face whoever was touching her.

Her fist and her keys connected with Wilson's face, sending him sprawling to the ground on his ass.

A second later, Cuddy had realized who she hit.

"OH MY GOD!" she shrieked.

Wilson was lying on the floor, his hand plastered over his left cheek.

"Oh man," Wilson groaned from his position on the concrete.

"Wilson, I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" Cuddy exclaimed as she bent down to him. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few moments later, Cuddy and Wilson were in the ER.

Wilson was sitting on a patient's bed, his shoulders slumped while the resident on duty sewed five stitches into Wilson's cheek where Cuddy's car key had lacerated his face.

Despite the fact that the resident had given him a local anesthetic, Wilson winced from the pressure of the stitches.

Cuddy was standing next to him, with an extremely regretful look on her face, holding his hand as the resident continued to sew.

"I'm so sorry," Cuddy apologized for the eighth time.

"Did you really have to punch me with your keys in your hand?" Wilson sighed.

"Hey, you were the one who snuck up on me in the parking lot," Cuddy reminded him with a slight smirk.

As the resident continued to stitch up Wilson's cheek, he chuckled.

"What's so funny? That we're a matching set now?" Cuddy joked, referring to the fact that both of their faces were injured.

"No, I'm just laughing because I'm an idiot," Wilson stated.

"Why are you an idiot?" Cuddy asked, scrunching up her face in confusion.

Wilson chuckled again and reached into his back pocket, producing an envelope.

"I should've just waited until tomorrow to give you this," Wilson said, handing it to her.

Cuddy saw that her name was typed on the envelope.

"What is it?" she asked with a furrowed brow.

"I don't know. The lab brought it to my office by mistake," Wilson told her.

Cuddy nodded and opened up the envelope. Inside, there were two printouts from the fertility clinic.

When she saw the names of the patients on each form, she went pale.

"It's Greg and my fertility test results," Cuddy said, barely above a whisper.

But as she read the letter, her somber expression changed to one of complete happiness and relief.

"Good news?" Wilson said hopefully.

Cuddy's smile took over her entire face as she read both pages.

"Very good news," she said, nodding enthusiastically, looking up at Wilson.

"We're both healthy and perfectly capable of conceiving," Cuddy said with relief.

"So can I make jokes about House's super sperm now?" Wilson quipped.

"You can do whatever you want," Cuddy declared as she wrapped her arms around him.

Wilson hugged her back, smiling happily, ignoring the pressure from his stitches as he did so.

As they were still hugging, a contemplative look crossed Wilson's face.

"It felt good to punch me, didn't it?" Wilson asked her.

Cuddy disentangled herself from Wilson's hug and gazed at him.

"…Yeah, it did," she admitted.

Wilson laughed. "Then… I'm kinda glad you did it," he replied.

A small laugh escaped Cuddy's lips.

"I was so scared in that bathroom," she said, still laughing slightly.

Wilson nodded, knowing that her smile and laugh were about to fade very shortly.

"I had no idea how I was gonna get out of there," she confessed, her smile beginning to fade as the realization of the events of that night at the casino began to replay in her mind.

Wilson nodded again, staying silent.

Cuddy's smile was now completely gone and was replaced with a look of horror and fear.s

"And if… Greg didn't come in when he did…" Cuddy stammered.

"I know," Wilson said gently.

At that moment, Cuddy's lower lip began to quiver.

And she started to cry.

Wilson immediately grabbed her again, holding her close to him as she cried her eyes out onto his powder blue button down shirt.

Suddenly, she lifted her head and sniffed.

Wilson's shoulder was covered in tears and smudged mascara.

"I ruined your shirt," Cuddy said sadly.

"No you didn't. Mascara washes out," he told her.

Despite what she was feeling, she laughed slightly.

Wilson pulled her close to him again as she continued to cry and stain his shirt further.

"And you can cry all you want," he told her.

TBC...


	60. Chapter 58

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS! I RESPONDED TO THEM ALL!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER...**

**AND IT MIGHT SHOCK YOU.**

**I WAS CRYING WHEN I WROTE IT.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

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**CHAPTER 58: Please read and comment.**

Around an hour later, Cuddy wearily opened the front door to her home. As she expected, it was unlocked.

As she entered her foyer, she could hear the sounds of her TV coming from her living room, and she smiled, knowing exactly who was sitting on her living room couch, eating the food out of her fridge and cabinets.

She walked into the living room. House was sitting on her couch, eating cantaloupe and honeydew with a fork out of a Tupperware that he had found in her fridge.

"You're eating the fruit?" Cuddy asked in surprise.

"It was either that or cook something, and you know that wasn't happening," House replied, still staring at the TV, which was tuned into The New Yankee Workshop.

Cuddy chuckled slightly and plopped down on the couch next to him.

"You're late," House said in between bites.

"Yep," Cuddy replied.

He then finally took his eyes off the TV and glanced at Cuddy for the first time, doing a double take when he saw her face.

"Your mascara's all streaked," House pointed out.

"That's because I was crying," Cuddy replied simply.

House narrowed his eyes and placed the Tupperware container down on the coffee table.

"Talk to me," he said.

Cuddy took a deep breath and turned towards House, her soft blue- grey eyes reflecting a sincere strength that House hadn't seen for the last few days.

"That guy in the bathroom could have…" Cuddy began, stopping in mid sentence as she felt her stomach rise into her throat.

House said nothing, keeping his eyes on her, knowing that she was having trouble completing her thought.

Cuddy took another breath, placing her hands gingerly in her lap.

"…He could have really hurt me," she finished.

House remained silent, but nodded, realizing that he felt proud of her.

Cuddy swallowed, forcing herself to continue.

"And if you hadn't come into the bathroom when you did… he probably would have," Cuddy said.

"It wasn't your fault," House said quietly.

"I know," Cuddy replied.

The corners of House's lips turned upwards as he slowly placed his hand on top of hers.

"You saved me," she whispered.

"You've saved me plenty of times," House told her.

Cuddy laughed slightly, despite what she was feeling.

"Well, that's true," she admitted.

House then pulled her close to him. She nestled against his chest and took another deep breath, finding comfort in his scent and the softness of his t- shirt against her cheek. House lightly ran his fingers through her dark, wavy hair and kissed the top of her head.

"You're not crying?" House asked her gruffly.

"I'm kinda cried out," she admitted.

House nodded, as they shared a comfortable silence.

"So how badly did you hurt Wilson?" he asked her after a few moments.

Cuddy pulled away from his embrace and stared at him incredulously.

"… You _KNEW_ about that?" she asked him.

"Yep," he replied.

"Did he call you on my way home or something?" Cuddy asked, still confused.

House merely smiled impishly.

Suddenly, realization dawned on Cuddy. Her jaw dropped slightly and her eyes widened.

"You _TOLD_ him to sneak up on me?!" Cuddy exclaimed.

House exhaled and leaned his back against the couch, the same impish smile still on his face.

Cuddy stared at him as if he was insane.

"Why would you _DO_ that?" she asked him.

"Because I knew you had to deal with this," House told her.

Cuddy shook her head, ready to tell him that he was an ass.

"And by punching Wilson, you got back the control you had lost in that bathroom," House continued before she could say anything.

"…And the fertility test results?" Cuddy asked tentatively.

"They're real," House assured her.

"But the lab didn't deliver them to him by mistake," he added.

Cuddy laughed again. "I don't know if I should kiss you or slap you," she told him.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he replied with a smirk.

Cuddy couldn't help but grin back. She caressed his scruff with her palm, causing House to close his eyes softly at her touch.

She then leaned closer to him and brushed her lips gently with his. She threaded her fingers through his closely cropped hair as he wound his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him.

As their kiss became more passionate, Cuddy reveled in the feeling of House's tongue dancing against hers and her breasts pressed tightly up against his chest.

They reluctantly broke off their kiss to come up for air, still holding each other tightly. House gazed down at her, into her eyes.

"I'm glad you went for the kiss," he said.

"Me too," she replied.

Cuddy then nestled against his chest once more, finding a comfortable position as they stared at the TV together.

"Wilson went down like a rock when I punched him," Cuddy said as she watched some guy she didn't recognize on the screen try to make a cabinet without impaling himself with power tools.

"I would have _LOVED_ to see that," House said without missing a beat and without looking away from the TV.

"…I had my keys in my hand when I punched him," Cuddy admitted.

Suddenly, House laughed out loud.

"It's not funny! He needed five stitches!" Cuddy exclaimed.

This only made House laugh even harder to the point where tears began to stream from his eyes, which made Cuddy laugh, too.

"So I guess my original hypothesis could be correct," Cuddy said as she tried to calm down from her laughter.

"What do you mean?" House said, wiping his eyes, still laughing.

"That all I might need is a good stiff one to get the job done," Cuddy said.

At this, House suddenly stopped laughing. He arched his eyebrow in extreme interest.

"Feel like testing my hypothesis?" Cuddy asked him coyly.

House shrugged and turned down his lower lip as the bulge began to grow in his pants.

"I was always a sucker for the Scientific Method," House replied. 

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At around the same time that night, Chase was in his bed, alone.

For the past twenty minutes, he had been listening to the water run in his bathroom while Sophie was showering.

It had been almost two hours since they had said anything to each other.

Chase had cleaned up the Chinese take- out they had ordered for dinner while Sophie studied in Chase's bedroom with the door closed.

After that, Chase had taken a shower, and washed and dried his hair.

When he reluctantly went into his bedroom, Sophie looked up from her book.

Upon seeing him in a towel, she quietly left the room and moved to the living room with her notes, allowing him to change in private, which he had done.

After putting on a fresh pair of boxers, he contemplated breaking the silent treatment that Sophie was giving him by apologizing to her, but something inside him decided against it.

So instead, he remained in the bedroom while she remained in the living room.

Twenty minutes ago, Chase had heard the water begin to run.

And now it had finally stopped.

Chase sat up in his bed, the blanket covering the lower half of his body as he heard Sophie walk softly from the bathroom to his bedroom.

When she opened the door, she was wearing a towel wrapped around her body. Her hair was pulled up in a bun.

When she saw that Chase was in the bed, she stopped in her tracks.

They locked eyes for a brief moment.

And then Sophie looked away.

She grabbed a light pink cotton camisole and a pair of white cotton panties trimmed with lace out of the drawer that Chase had given her in his dresser and walked back out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Chase exhaled in frustration, waiting for her to come back.

But when she didn't, he became curious.

He got out of the bed, opened the door and walked down the hallway. Sophie was standing in front of his linen closet, taking out an extra pillow, a pillow case and a flat sheet.

"What are you doing?" he asked her.

"Going to set up the couch for myself," she said, starting to walk past him.

Chase grabbed her wrist gently as she did so to stop her.

"You're not sleeping on the couch," he told her softly.

"Well _YOU'RE_ not sleeping on the couch because your ankle can't take a night on the couch," Sophie reminded him.

"No one's sleeping on the couch, ok?" Chase said, the weariness evident in his voice.

Sophie pressed her lips together and began to look away from him, but he touched her chin to make her turn back towards his gaze.

"Please come to bed with me," Chase said in the same soft, yet pleading tone.

Sophie exhaled and nodded reluctantly. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Once they were in the bed together, Sophie was lying on her side, facing away from Chase.

She had pulled up the blanket around her entire body, which was curled up slightly.

Chase could feel her shivering slightly underneath the blanket.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied, not turning around.

Chase only paused for a moment before pressing the front of his body up against her back, wrapping his arms around her petite frame underneath the blanket. She exhaled as she leaned her back against his front.

She closed her eyes when she felt him kiss the back of her neck.

"I know you're still angry at me… and you have every right to be. But if we talk about it—" Chase murmured.

"I'm not angry at you," Sophie interrupted him.

"I'm ashamed of myself," she explained.

Chase pulled back slightly.

"Why?" he asked in confusion.

Sophie turned in the bed to face him and finally met his gaze with her own.

"Because you were right. This isn't about me, it's about you," she told him.

"I still shouldn't have insinuated that you weren't a good girlfriend," Chase began, shaking his head slowly as he spoke.

"You didn't say that. The pain in your ankle did," Sophie said.

"…How'd you know I was in pain?" he asked, barely above a whisper.

"Because at the hospital fundraiser, you accused me of cheating on you with Joey out of nowhere… and you tried to push me out of your life this past weekend at the casino," she explained.

"And both times you were in tremendous pain," Sophie added.

"I can't use my ankle as an excuse every time we get into a fight," Chase said, his voice full of regret at the way he had spoken to her.

"I know… but it is affecting you," Sophie replied.

Chase parted his lips to speak again, but Sophie placed her hand on his cheek, tracing his lips with the pad of her thumb to interrupt him.

"The pain shouldn't dictate your life… and if you can get rid of it, then you should have the surgery," she told him sincerely.

Chase nodded and smiled, his heart swelling with happiness that she was supporting his decision. He pulled her close to him, enveloping her in his arms and burying his face in the softness of her neck.

As Chase held her close, Sophie could feel her heart begin to ache at what she was about to say.

"… Are you… still going to take Cameron up on her offer to stay with her after the surgery?" Sophie asked tentatively.

Chase rolled over onto his back, pulling her with him so she could nestle against his chest.

"…It would be easier than having to go home afterwards," Chase admitted.

Sophie nodded slowly.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Sure," Chase replied.

"…How does it make you feel that Cameron's doing all this for you?" Sophie asked.

Chase pulled his head back slightly, his eyebrow arching as he never expected her to ask him such a question. Sophie raised her head off his chest and stared into his beautiful blue- green eyes.

"Be honest," she told him.

Chase shrugged slightly, turning down his lower lip.

"Unfamiliar… but nice," he admitted.

Sophie took a deep breath and steeled herself to prepare for what she was about to say.

"Do you remember when we first met at O' Sullivans?" she asked him.

"Sure I do. I was on that conference," Chase replied as he began to take her hair out of the bun she had fashioned for herself for her shower.

"Do you remember when I wrote my phone number on the bottom of the check?" Sophie asked as she felt her hair tumble about her shoulders and back.

Chase nodded and smiled fondly at her, brushing a stray lock of wavy brown hair out of her face, about to remind her how flattered he had been that she had done that.

"You let me down easy and told me that you had a girlfriend," Sophie said before he could speak.

Chase's words stopped in his throat at her statement.

"Why would you remind me of that?" Chase asked her.

"Were you attracted to me when you first saw me?" Sophie asked him.

"Of course I was," Chase replied in an obvious manner, not understanding why she would ask him such a thing.

Sophie smiled in a melancholy fashion.

"Well, when I first saw you… it was like I got hit by a bolt of lightning," Sophie admitted.

Chase stared at her, slightly stunned at her admission.

"When you ordered your lunch and smiled at me, I got goose bumps. When you took your beer glass out of my hand when I served it to you and our fingers touched, the little hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and my heart was pounding in my ears," Sophie continued.

"…And every time you kiss me, or hold me, or hold my hand, or when I hear your voice over the phone, I still feel like that," she said.

Chase smiled warmly at her, wanting to tell her the same thing in return.

But then, as she continued to stare lovingly into her eyes, he stopped himself, his smile fading.

Because he suddenly realized that he couldn't.

Sophie gazed at him kindly, knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"I know you don't really feel the same way about me," Sophie told him, trying as hard as she could to keep the kind smile on her face without breaking down.

Chase felt his stomach rise up into his throat.

He could feel a horrible chill penetrate through him.

"I know you love me, and I know you think that I'm pretty and sweet, and sexy…" Sophie began gently.

"But you love _HOW_ I love you more," she continued.

Chase was speechless. He merely stared at her, his mouth open ever so slightly.

He began to shake his head in protest, but she placed her hand on his bare chest to stop him.

"…Cameron was never willing to change her life for you, but she is now, and that's what you've always wanted," she said.

"When we met, you were still with Cameron, and you were hurt that she wanted to go back to House's team at the time… so you cheated on her with Cuddy…" she said.

"And then you found a confidant in me," she continued, finding her smile again.

"But if Cameron had loved you back then like I do, would you have ever gotten together with me?" she asked him.

Chase could feel the tears well up in his eyes at her question.

His mouth started to turn down and his lower lip began to quiver.

Sophie smiled at him sadly and wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly as he cried against her.

"If I'm right about how Cameron feels about you, then that means that you have another chance with her," Sophie said, ignoring her own tears.

Chase pulled back from her body, still crying. Sophie gently wiped his tears with her thumbs.

"And maybe it'll be better this time," Sophie said to him, encouragingly.

"But I don't want to let you go," Chase managed to say through his tears.

"You're not losing me. We can still be close," she reassured him.

"How?" he said, his voice full of sadness.

"We'll figure it out," she replied in the same reassuring tone.

"Sophie, I never meant to hurt you," Chase told her sincerely, still crying.

Sophie nodded. "I know you didn't," she said gently.

"You have to believe me," he begged.

"I do," she told him.

TBC…


	61. Chapter 59

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS ON MY LAST CHAPTER. **

**I AM SO TOUCHED THAT YOU ALL FELT THE EMOTION I WAS TRYING TO EXPRESS AND THAT YOU HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE SHIP I HAVE CREATED!**

**THERE'S MORE ANGST IN THIS CHAPTER.**

**AND HERE IT IS!!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHT AND ENJOY!! :-) **

************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 59: Please read and comment.**

House and Cuddy were lying in Cuddy's bed, naked and sweaty, after making love.

House exhaled hard from his position flat on his back, while Cuddy's raven curls were draped across his chest as she lay next to him.

House smiled slightly as he felt her kiss his bare chest lazily.

"So you think my big stiff one got the job done?" he snarked.

Cuddy looked up at him with an incredibly satisfied smile on her face, a lock of hair falling into her eyes.

"It's a distinct possibility," she said in a raspy voice.

House chuckled and pulled her closer to him. Her naked, pert breasts pressed against his torso as she found a comfortable position next to him.

They lay their in content silence together for a few moments. House draped his arm over his eyes slowly as Cuddy relaxed even more from the steady beat of his heart and the sound of his breathing.

"…God, can you imagine if I'm pregnant?" Cuddy suddenly said.

"I'm already thinking of all the fat ass comments I have on reserve," House replied, without missing a beat.

It was Cuddy's turn to laugh as she looked up at him.

"…Are you sure we can do this?" Cuddy asked with uncertainty.

"All test results point to '_yes_'" House replied, his arm still draped over his eyes.

"No, I mean raise a child," Cuddy clarified.

House took his arm off his eyes and gazed at her, finally brushing the lock of hair away from her eyes with his fingertips.

"We're both educated, intelligent people," House said.

"With extremely demanding jobs and crazy schedules," Cuddy reminded him.

"People with demanding jobs and crazy schedules raise children," House said.

"People with demanding jobs and crazy schedules usually wind up hiring _OTHER_ people to raise their children," Cuddy pointed out.

"Why don't we wait for a positive pregnancy test before we start interviewing nannies?" House asked her, feeling her tense against his body.

Cuddy laughed and relaxed once more. She lowered her head back onto his chest as House draped his arm around her slender frame.

"Too bad Wilson has a job. He'd make a great nanny," Cuddy joked.

"Are you kidding? He'd lose control of the kid after five minutes," House said.

"Maybe _YOUR_ kid, but not _MY_ kid," Cuddy retorted.

House pulled back ever so slightly to stare at her.

"Are you saying that YOUR kid will be better behaved than MY kid?" House demanded in amusement.

"That's _exactly_ what I'm saying," Cuddy replied with a broad grin.

House smirked and brushed his lips against hers.

"If she takes after you, we'll have to keep the car keys away from her so she doesn't slash Wilson's face open," House said against her skin as his lips made his way down to her neck.

"Stop it. I feel awful about that," Cuddy said with regret.

"He'll be fine. Debbie'll nurse him back to health even in places where he doesn't hurt," House reassured her.

Cuddy snorted as House continued to kiss down her body, his lips and tongue finding their way to her nipple, expecting her to gasp at his touch.

But she didn't.

He stopped his ministrations and leaned against her breast, looking up at her with his bright blue eyes.

He could see that she was deep in thought and not aroused in any way.

"I know I'm going to hate myself for asking this, but what are you thinking about?" House muttered.

"Sophie," Cuddy replied.

House arched his eyebrow in surprise.

"Didn't realize you swing that way," he said, feeling his arousal stir underneath the blanket at the thought.

"That's not what I meant," Cuddy scoffed.

"Killjoy," House mumbled.

"I meant that I hope she's doing better than she was when I saw her last," Cuddy explained.

"She is," House said.

"How do you know that?" Cuddy said, furrowing her brow.

"Because she had a good cry just like you did," House replied.

Cuddy nodded with a soft smile. She exhaled in relief, as if the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders.

Satisfied with Cuddy's current serenity, House went back to kissing her breast. Cuddy wrapped her arms around House's back absentmindedly as he did so, not really paying attention to what he was doing.

"I'm glad Chase has Sophie," Cuddy declared.

"Mmm hmmm," House said against her breast.

"You know, for a long time, I thought Chase would never be happy," Cuddy continued.

House didn't even bother making a noise after that comment. He teased her nipple with the tip of his tongue and reached down to palm her ass.

"And he deserves to be. He's a great guy and she's a wonderful girl. She's perfect for him," Cuddy said, completely indifferent to House's actions.

House exhaled through his nose, wishing that she would stop talking. He kissed his way down her stomach.

"They're really lucky they found each other," Cuddy added.

At this, House looked up at her, suddenly realizing what he could tell her to make her shut up.

"Cameron's in love with Chase again," House said flatly.

Cuddy stared at House completely stunned, her eyes almost popping out of her head.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

That same night, Chase was in his bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

His ankle was throbbing worse than it had ever been.

He glanced at his bottle of Vicodin on his night- stand, but he refused to reach over to it to take his usual dose.

He wanted to feel the pain.

Because he felt like he deserved it.

After both he and Sophie had cried until their were no tears left, Sophie had gotten out of his bed and gone into the living room to sleep on Chase's couch.

Chase had completely understood why.

But he was still miserable about it.

Knowing that he wasn't going to get a good night's sleep, he sat up in the bed and lolled his head back. As he did so, he hit his head against the headboard by accident.

Hard.

"_AHH_!" he hissed, closing his eyes tightly as a surge of pain radiated through the back of his head. He clutched the back of his head, bending over slightly.

"Are you ok?" Sophie suddenly said.

Chase looked up and saw her standing in the doorway of his bedroom, clad only in her light pink cami and white cotton panties.

"Yeah I just hit my head against the headboard," he muttered in slight embarrassment.

Sophie walked over to the night- stand and turned on the lamp a touch, causing Chase to shut his eyes again as the light cast a dim glow over the room. She softly moved his hair away from the spot on his head that he hit and scrutinized it.

"You'll live," she joked.

Chase couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks, Doc," he joked back.

Sophie then sat down on the bed next to him and took his Vicodin bottle off the night- stand. She opened it and shook out two pills into the palm of her hand.

"Now take your Vicodin so you can get some sleep," she said to him, handing him the pills.

He looked down at the pills in the palm of her tiny hand, reluctantly took them from her and swallowed them dry. He then leaned back against the pillow.

"It still amazes me how well you know me," he admitted.

Sophie smiled half- heartedly, ignoring the ache she felt in her heart at his words as she placed the cap back on the bottle and rest it on the night- stand.

Noticing her sad expression, he took her hand gently in his and rubbed the soft skin on the back of her hand with his thumb. Sophie allowed him to hold her hand, but didn't squeeze it back.

"So you can't sleep either?" Chase asked her.

"Nope," Sophie replied.

"Can I help?" he asked.

"I doubt it," she said.

"Why not?" Chase asked.

"…Because usually, when I listen to your heart murmur, it helps me fall asleep," Sophie admitted sheepishly.

Without hesitation, Chase took both her hands in his and pulled her gently into the bed with him. Instinctively, she nestled against his body and lay her head onto his bare chest.

As she listened to the dulcet and soothing sound of his heart murmur, Chase ran his fingers delicately through her hair and caressed her back.

Sophie ignored the painful feeling rampaging through her as he held her close.

"Think I can get this on my iPod?" she joked instead.

Chase laughed and held her tighter against him.

"I'm pathetic, right?" Sophie asked.

"Not at all," Chase replied softly, caressing her back as he kissed the top of her head.

"…I'M pathetic," Chase said after a moment.

"Don't say that," Sophie said.

"It's true," Chase said sadly, his voice cracking.

Upon hearing the change in his voice, Sophie looked up at him and gazed into his eyes, which were full of remorse.

"You're a beautiful, funny, smart and sexy woman. And having you in my life is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me," Chase said sincerely, caressing her cheek.

"I told you. We can still be close," Sophie reminded him.

"Why would you even _WANT_ to be close to me anymore?" Chase asked miserably.

"Because having you in _MY_ life is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me…" Sophie said with a tiny, melancholy smile.

"… And I know that you'll always feel guilty enough to oblige me if I need a hot date at the last minute," she added with a smirk.

Chase laughed out loud as he pulled her closer and engulfed her in a hug.

They held each other for a few moments in silence. Sophie inhaled quietly through her nose, trying to memorize his smell.

"…I know this is gonna sound obnoxious, but…" Chase began.

"You're handling this way too well," he finished.

"That's because I'm still here with you and you're holding me right now," Sophie replied.

"Trust me, once I get back to school, I'll be a total mess," she said.

At this, Chase pulled back slightly and gazed into her eyes, which were still puffy and red from crying before.

Her words ripped through his heart like a knife.

"I'm not worth crying over," he whispered.

"Well, you're biased," she said.

Chase pressed his lips together, saying nothing.

"Listen, could you take me to the airport tomorrow morning? I really don't want to deal with my brother's interrogation tomorrow when he sees that my eyes are all swollen from crying," Sophie said.

"If you're not ready to go back tomorrow morning—" Chase began.

"I'll never be ready to leave you," Sophie stated.

"But I can't stay in this bed with you forever," she added.

Chase brushed a stray, wavy lock of hair out of her eyes and cupped her cheek with his hand. His blue- green eyes penetrated her.

"I'll _ALWAYS_ be available to you, no matter what, especially for a last minute date," Chase promised her.

Sophie chuckled and was about to turn away from him, but he placed both of his hands on her cheeks to get her attention.

"I mean it," he asserted.

Sophie inhaled deeply, trying not to cry.

"I love you, Sophia," Chase said with all the emotion he had inside him.

Sophie could feel her heart swell and break at the same time at his words.

"I know," she said.

"But you don't love me the way I love you," she added.

"And I think I deserve to have love like that," she stated.

"Yes you do," Chase agreed.

Just then, Sophie smiled. Chase smiled quizzically in response, not understanding her sudden change in mood.

"I just realized that that was the first time you've ever called me by my real name," she told him.

Chase's smile widened.

"Well I should have a long time ago. Sophia is a beautiful name," he told her.

"Thank you," she replied.

He then leaned forward and kissed her very lightly on her lips.

As they pulled back slightly after their tiny kiss, they looked into each other's eyes.

"Sophia…" Chase murmured as his gaze rested on her lips.

He kissed her again. This time, a gentle tender brush of his lips against hers.

Her eyes fluttered closed at the feeling of his warm, sensual mouth against hers.

He brushed her lips over and over again, slowly, tenderly, as if he was searching the deepest part of her.

He wrapped his arms around her petite frame, pulling her against him as close as he could.

She could feel herself being swept away by his lips and his chest pressed against her body.

"Robbie…" Sophie said breathlessly as they kissed.

"Oh Sophia…" Chase moaned as their kiss became more passionate.

She gasped as he cupped her breast ever so gently with his hand, stroking her nipple over her camisole with his thumb. The tingle traveled through her entire being, straight to the moistness between her legs.

She could feel her face becoming red with desire and shame.

"…Please… don't… It's not fair," she protested.

"Let me make you feel good, Sophia," Chase whispered passionately as his lips trailed down to her neck.

"You don't want to make me feel good," she stated.

Chase ceased his ministrations and looked up at her.

Her eyes were full of hurt.

"You want to alleviate your guilt," she told him.

"And I don't deserve that," she added.

Sophie then gathered all of her strength and promptly disentangled herself from his embrace.

She climbed out of the bed and went back to the couch, closing Chase's bedroom door behind him, leaving him alone in his room with a raging hard- on and his pills.

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The next morning, at around 7:30 AM, Chase woke up to the sound of the buzzing of his alarm clock.

He slapped it with his hand to turn it off, and rolled over to go back to sleep.

He then suddenly opened his eyes wide, remembering what had happened the night before between him and Sophie.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his ankle, he pushed himself out of the bed and headed for the living room.

Sophie wasn't there.

The blanket she had used last night for the couch was folded neatly. The pillow she had used was stacked on top of it.

He quickly headed back to his room and pulled open the bottom drawer of his dresser that he had given to Sophie months ago to use.

The drawer was empty.

Except for a folded piece of paper.

Dreading what he was about to read, he slowly opened the note.

**"ROB,**

**I KNOW YOU LOVE ME.**

**BUT LAST NIGHT, YOU DIDN'T RESPECT ME.**

**I TOOK A CAB.**

**GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SURGERY TOMORROW,**

**--SOPH,"**

Chase stared at the note for what seemed like an eternity.

He then crumpled it up in his hand raked his fingers through his hair and exhaled loudly, feeling completely ashamed of himself.

TBC…


	62. Chapter 60

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR READING AND FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS!!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHT AND ENJOY!! :-) **

******************************************************************* **

**CHAPTER 60: Please read and comment.**

**-----------------------------------------------------**

**WEDNESDAY MORNING.**

At 7:30 AM, Chase opened the back door of the car that Cameron had sent for him that morning and into the bright sunlight that was reflecting off of the main entrance to NYU hospital, carrying his overnight bag.

Cameron was waiting for him outside with a smile. Her long blond hair was down and she was wearing a black blazer, a white button down shirt with the top two buttons open and a pair of light grey slacks.

"Hey," she said.

Chase smiled back at her softly.

"Hi," he replied.

She immediately walked up to him and embraced him in a hug.

As he held her close to him, his senses were engulfed with the scent of her cherry blossom perfume.

For some reason, the smell reminded him of the subtle scent of the jasmine soap that Sophie used.

And that he missed it. 

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Almost an hour had passed since Chase had been admitted into the hospital.

He was waiting in his room before the surgery, having already changed out of his clothes and into a hospital gown. Various staff members had already come and gone from his room to re- check his medical history.

Cameron was sitting by his bedside on a chair.

"You nervous?" Cameron asked him.

"Not really," Chase replied with a shrug as he tugged on a stray thread on his gown absentmindedly.

"Well, that's good," Cameron replied with a smile.

Chase nodded silently with a sullen expression.

"… Something on your mind?" Cameron asked.

"No," Chase replied.

"Because if there is, you can tell me—" Cameron began.

"Cameron, just leave it alone, ok?" Chase said with slight annoyance.

Cameron pressed her lips together, deciding not to press him any further, knowing that when Chase didn't want to talk about something, not much was going to get him to open up.

But what Cameron didn't know was that Chase couldn't care less about the surgery that he was about to have.

All he cared about at that moment was that he hadn't heard from Sophie since Monday night when they were in bed together and he tried to make love to her one more time.

She had rejected him and gotten out of his bed, having spent the rest of the night on the couch.

And the following morning, she hadn't even said good- bye to him. She had only left a note.

He could see the words of the note in his mind as if they were flashing on a neon sign.

**"ROB, I KNOW YOU LOVE ME. **

**BUT LAST NIGHT, YOU DIDN'T RESPECT ME. **

**I TOOK A CAB. **

**GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SURGERY TOMORROW, **

**--SOPH,"**

Just then, two nurses came back into his room. He recognized one of them as Joanie, because she had been in earlier to take his vitals and give him his hospital- issued vinyl wristband imprinted with his personal information.

"Ok, Robert, Dr. Eng is ready for you," the nurse told him cheerily.

"Thanks, Joanie," Chase replied.

The two nurses then unlocked the wheels on the bottom of his bed and began to push him out of the room.

Cameron got up from her seat and began to follow them all down the hallway towards the OR.

"I'll answer your phone in case Sophie calls," Cameron reassured him.

At that moment, Chase had remembered that he had forgotten to tell Cameron about their break- up.

"She's not gonna call," Chase mumbled.

Cameron then stopped in her tracks in shock as the nurses continued to wheel Chase down the hallway. 

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A little while later, Cameron was in the viewing area of the NYU surgical gallery, intently watching Dr. Kenneth Eng and his team operate on Chase's ankle, her arms folded across her chest.

Her mind was swirling with the questions.

"_DID CHASE AND SOPHIE BREAK UP?_" Cameron asked herself.

_"AND IF THEY DID, WHY DIDN'T HE JUST TELL ME STRAIGHT OUT? WHY WAS HE SO CRYPTIC?"_ she thought.

As she continued to watch the procedure, another question popped into her mind that gave her the feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

"_SHOULD I TELL HIM HOW I FEEL ABOUT HIM?_" Cameron thought to herself.

"Enjoying the show?" a male voice suddenly asked her, interrupting her train of thought.

Cameron turned towards the voice and saw Dr. Neil Stern standing next to her. As usual, he looked incredibly polished in a very expensive suit and tie with a smile to match.

Cameron smirked. "Anxious for the ending," she told him, turning back to the window.

"Sorry, no spoilers around here," Stern joked.

A tiny chuckle escaped Cameron's lips and then she exhaled deeply. Stern kept his gaze on her as she watched Eng and his team do their work.

"So this guy must be pretty important to you if you called me to get him in here," Stern commented.

"He is," Cameron replied.

Stern nodded, turning down his lower lip.

"You think he'll mind if I take you out for drinks on Friday night?" Stern asked.

"I don't think he'll have a problem with it," Cameron replied nonchalantly.

"Good," Stern replied with a smile.

"I can't speak for your wife, though," Cameron added, just as casually.

The smile disappeared from Stern's face at the mention of his wife and the memory of when Cameron had showed up on his doorstep a while back to tell her about their affair.

"I figured that she would have told you that we have an arrangement when you met her," Stern said lightly.

"She did, but she's not happy about it," Cameron said, still looking through the window.

"And why do you think that?" Stern asked.

Cameron turned towards him, her eyes blazing.

"Because who would be?" she demanded.

"You'd be surprised what people can live with," Stern told her.

"The only reason why I'm going out with you for drinks is because you did me a huge favor," Cameron told him, the anger seeping through her voice.

"Technically, I did _HIM_ a favor," Stern said, jutting his chin towards the window, referring to Chase.

"I really don't know what's in it for _YOU_," Stern added.

Cameron's lips parted slightly as she was taken aback by Stern's remark.

"I'll pick you up at eight on Friday night at your place," Stern said before turning away from her and leaving her alone in the gallery. 

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By 10:30, Chase's operation was complete.

By 11:30, the anesthesia had worn off and Chase was awake in the recovery room, hooked up to a synthetic morphine drip and an IV. His ankle was sutured and he was feeling no pain.

Dr. Eng, was standing in front of him, wearing his scrubs and a surgical cap.

"How are you feeling?" Eng asked him.

"Friedrich Serturner is a _GENIUS_," Chase said groggily, referring to the German pharmacist who had discovered morphine.

Dr. Eng laughed. "He sure is," he agreed.

"So when can I get outta here?" Chase asked him.

"Tomorrow morning," Eng replied.

Chase furrowed his brow in confusion.

"I thought this was an outpatient procedure," he said.

"It usually is," Eng replied.

"Then… what's the problem?" Chase asked, not sure that he wanted to hear the answer.

"Dr. House was correct about the growth being a tumor as opposed to a cyst. The tumor was benign and we were able to excise it successfully," Eng began in a professional manner.

Chase breathed a sigh of relief and lolled his head back.

"However, your orthopedist misdiagnosed your original trauma," Eng continued.

Chase immediately lifted his head off the pillow and stared back at Eng, completely stunned.

"You didn't have a grade II ankle sprain. When we opened you up, we saw evidence of a healed fracture on your talus bone," Eng told him.

"A _FRACTURE_?" Chase repeated incredulously.

"Yes. You apparently had a hairline fracture of the talus bone that didn't show up on either MRI or the X- Ray," Eng replied.

Chase's jaw dropped a bit and he tilted his head ever so slightly as he realized that the symptoms he had been experiencing fit perfectly with a fracture.

"And unfortunately, because of the misdiagnosis… it didn't heal properly," Eng continued.

"So what does that mean?" Chase asked him nervously.

"It means that you're going to continue to experience chronic pain," Eng said.

Chase said nothing.

He didn't even blink.

"The pain won't be as bad as it was before now that we've removed the tumor that was pressing on the nerve—" Eng began.

"For how long will I feel pain?" Chase interrupted.

Eng took a deep breath and exhaled before answering Chase's question.

"… Indefinitely," Eng replied.

Chase suddenly felt as if his chest was being crushed.

He couldn't breathe.

"We're going to put you on a pain management regimen that won't be habit forming in addition to scheduling you for PT at Princeton Plainsboro. If you stick with it, the pain should be manageable," Eng told him.

"'_MANAGEABLE_?'" Chase managed to say, completely dumbfounded.

"You'll meet with our pain management specialist tomorrow morning. If you have any other questions, tell the nurse and she'll page me," Eng said before stepping out of the room. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Around a half- hour later, Chase had been transferred to another room in the hospital.

Cameron was once again by his bedside, holding his hand.

"Gimme my phone," Chase said to her, barely above a whisper.

"Chase, are you sure about this?" Cameron asked him gently.

"Yes," Chase replied in the same soft tone.

"…Maybe you should wait a few more days before you make a decision," Cameron said tentatively.

Chase turned towards her, his eyes full of defeat and sadness.

"Cameron… please give me my phone," Chase pleaded.

Cameron swallowed, nodded, took Chase's cell phone off the bedside table and handed it to him. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few moments later, Cuddy's phone rang in her office. She didn't bother to look up from the paperwork she was currently involved in when she reached over to grab it.

"Dr. Cuddy," Cuddy said into the phone.

"Hi, it's Chase," Chase replied on the other end.

Upon hearing Chase's voice, Cuddy smiled brightly.

"Hi! Are you done already?" she asked him happily.

"Yeah," Chase replied.

"So? How did it go?" Cuddy prodded.

"They… took the tumor out successfully," he began.

Cuddy exhaled deeply. "That's wonderful, Chase," Cuddy replied with great relief.

"But it looks like that House is going to have some competition," he said, attempting to add levity to what he was about to tell her.

"What do you mean?" Cuddy said in bewilderment.

"I never had a sprain. It was a hairline fracture of my talus bone that never healed right," Chase replied.

Cuddy breath caught in her throat.

"…Nathan misdiagnosed you?" she managed to say.

"Looks that way," Chase replied.

Cuddy suddenly realized what Chase meant by his statement that House was going to have some competition.

A lump formed in her throat.

"… You're going to be in pain for the rest of your life…" Cuddy whispered.

"Yeah," Chase said, matching her soft tone.

"Chase… I—" she began.

"Listen… I never thanked you for hiring me back onto the surgical staff after House fired me," Chase suddenly said.

"You don't have to thank me," Cuddy said.

"Yes I do, because I'm resigning," Chase replied.

Cuddy froze in utter shock at his words.

"Chase… you're just upset. There's no reason why you can't continue to do your job—" Cuddy began.

"I don't think you want a doctor who can't stand up for very long performing surgeries on patients," Chase interrupted her.

"And… I'm pretty sure that you're not going to create another department of diagnostics just for me," he added.

Cuddy had no idea what to say.

She merely sat at her desk, shaking her head, her lips parted, stymied.

"Thanks again for everything," Chase said gratefully before hanging up.

For a moment, Cuddy remained frozen at her desk.

She then suddenly got up from her desk, grabbed her purse and jacket and left her office.

She headed right into the Clinic to the Charge Nurse's station and saw Brenda sitting at the desk.

"How long does it take to get from here to Manhattan by car?" Cuddy asked her.

"About an hour. Why?" Brenda asked her.

"Call a cab for me and tell them there's a huge tip in it for the driver if he could get me there in forty- five minutes," Cuddy told her as she rushed out of the clinic.

TBC…


	63. Chapter 61

**OK, EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR READING AND FOR ALL THE GREAT REVIEWS!**

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**CHAPTER 61: Please read and comment.**

At around the same time that Cuddy had heard from Chase, House was standing over the second floor balcony, trying to peg the janitor on the first floor with grapes.

"Trying to piss off another janitor?" Wilson suddenly said.

House turned towards Wilson's voice and saw him slowly ambling over to him.

"I have to fill my quota," House replied, looking back down at the first floor and the janitor who was mopping the linoleum.

"And once he looks up, you're going to step away from the balcony, and he'll only see me up here," Wilson said flatly with an eyeroll as he leaned his arms against the railing.

"Classic material never gets old," House stated, popping a grape in his mouth.

"Tell that to Rodney Dangerfield," Wilson said.

House turned towards Wilson once more, his brow furrowed.

"He's dead," House said.

"That was kinda my point," Wilson replied.

House's glace fell on Wilson's cheek, which was still sporting the five stitches that he had needed, courtesy of Cuddy's assault on Monday night.

He then turned back to focus on the janitor and pegged another grape at him, missing once more.

"So does your face still hurt?" House asked him.

"Yeah, I know, because it's still killing you. You've already used that joke on me five times since yesterday. Get some new material," Wilson said in annoyance.

"Why are you such a sourpuss this morning? Debbie didn't kiss you to make it all better?" House asked sarcastically.

Wilson exhaled. "…Didn't sleep much last night," Wilson said.

House arched his eyebrows in extreme interest.

"From pain or pleasure or both?" House asked.

"Don't get excited. I was on the phone with Sophie most of the night because she broke up with Chase," Wilson mumbled.

At this, both of House's eyebrows shot up.

"_SHE_ broke up with _HIM_?" he asked in disbelief.

Wilson nodded slowly, taking a grape out of the ziplock bag that House was holding in his hand and popped it in his mouth.

"I thought he was the love of her life," House said.

"He is. But she feels that he doesn't love her the same way that she loves him," Wilson said.

House grimaced, still confused. Wilson chewed and swallowed his grape.

"When they met, he was still with Cameron… and Sophie thinks that if Cameron had given him the devotion and attention that she had, then he never would have given her a second glance," Wilson explained wearily.

"She's a beautiful and wonderful girl. I don't know why she has such a low opinion of herself," Wilson said sadly as he looked down onto the first floor over the balcony.

"She _DOESN'T_ have a low opinion of herself," House told him.

Wilson turned back towards House, tilting his head as he waited for House's analysis.

"Sophie feels she deserves to be loved in the same way that she loves Chase, which means that she has a _high_ opinion of herself," House told him.

"…Yeah, I guess you're right," Wilson said with a soft smile.

They then both looked back down onto the first floor.

"She's miserable without him," Wilson added.

"I'm sure he is, too," House said.

Just then, from their vantage point on the balcony, House and Wilson saw Cuddy walk quickly across the lobby towards the exit of the hospital .

"Your girlfriend looks like she's in a hurry," Wilson commented.

House took a grape out of the ziplock bag he was holding, closed one of his eyes and pegged it at her with a deft flick of his wrist.

"_OW_!" Cuddy cried out as the grape hit her in the back of the head, placing her hand on her head where it had landed as a reflex.

Cuddy immediately began to look around the lobby area to see who could have possibly thrown something at her.

"Hey! Up here!" House called out from his position on the balcony, causing Cuddy to look up at him.

"Where are you going?" He shouted to her.

"Out," Cuddy replied curtly, not bothering to admonish him for throwing a grape at her.

House and Wilson exchanged curious and suspicious glances and then headed for the elevators. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few moments later, still holding his ziplock bag full of grapes, House exited the hospital and limped up to Cuddy who was waiting near the curb.

"You got a hot date or something?" House asked her.

Cuddy snatched the grapes away from him and closed the bag.

"You think you can behave yourself for a few hours while I'm gone?" Cuddy asked him.

"That depends. Where are you going?" House inquired.

At that moment, the cab that Brenda had called for Cuddy pulled up to the curb. Cuddy placed her hand on the door handle and opened the door.

"I'm going to NYU hospital to stop Chase from making the biggest mistake of his life," Cuddy declared as she got into the cab.

As she started to close the door from the inside of the cab, House grabbed onto the outside handle firmly to prevent her from doing so.

He then quickly entered the cab.

"Move over. I'm coming with you," House told her. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Less than an hour later, Cuddy was quickly striding down the hallway towards Chase's recovery room, with House limping behind her as fast as he could.

Cuddy paused at the door to Chase's room, caught her breath and composed herself before entering. She then opened the door quietly.

Upon entering the room, they saw Chase wearing his hospital gown. He was sitting up partially on his hospital bed with his eyes closed. His leg was elevated and a sterile dressing was covering the incision site.

Cameron was sitting in a nearby chair, reading a magazine.

"How's he doing?" Cuddy asked softly.

Startled, Cameron turned towards the door, completely surprised to see both House and Cuddy standing there. She then got up from the chair and walked the few steps towards them.

"He's asleep," Cameron replied just as softly.

"No I'm not," Chase said from his position in his bed, his voice rough around the edges.

All three of them turned towards Chase, whose eyes were open.

Cuddy went over to his bedside and kissed his cheek. Chase kissed her back and looked past her at House.

The two men locked eyes for a moment.

Chase's eyes then fixated on House's cane.

Knowing that Chase was picturing his fate in his mind, House immediately turned away from Chase and towards Cameron.

"So how's the cafeteria in this joint?" House said to Cameron.

"… Not bad. Why?" Cameron asked, surprised at the question.

"Great. Let's go there and you can buy me a Reuben," House said, already turning towards the door. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

After both House and Cameron had left the room to head to the hospital cafeteria, Cuddy had pulled up a chair next to Chase's bed and gazed at him patiently.

"If you came here to give me a pep talk, you wasted a trip and cab fare," Chase told her.

"I didn't come here to give you a pep talk," Cuddy began.

"I came here to make you an offer," Cuddy told him.

Chase tilted his head curiously as Cuddy scooted up in her chair closer to Chase. She crossed her legs and straightened her posture.

"You were right that I don't want a doctor who can't stand up for very long performing surgeries on patients," Cuddy began.

"And you were also right in that I'm not going to create another Department of Diagnostics just for you," she added.

"So what's the offer?" Chase asked.

"I'm making you the Chief of Neonatal Intensive Care," Cuddy stated.

Chase blinked a few times, not sure that he had heard her correctly. Cuddy smiled softly at Chase's reaction.

"Harris is retiring in a few weeks, and I haven't filled the position yet," Cuddy told him.

"…What makes you think I'm qualified to run a department?" Chase asked her.

"You're an attending intensivist and surgeon with senority, an excellent doctor, and you survived a three year fellowship with House, earning a lot of people's respect," Cuddy replied.

Chase opened his mouth to speak, but Cuddy cut him off before he could.

"You'll also get a salary increase, your own office, a better parking space, and you won't have to work the graveyard shift," Cuddy interrupted.

Chase closed his mouth, exhaled through his nose and smiled gently.

"Dr. Cuddy, I appreciate the offer tremendously—" Chase began.

"You called me '_Dr. Cuddy_,' which means you don't want it," Cuddy interrupted him.

"It's not that I don't want it," Chase assured her, pausing before continuing.

"I just don't think I can _DO_ it," Chase admitted sadly.

"They're going to put me on a non- addictive pain management regimen, which means no opiates… which means it's most likely not going to work," Chase explained to her.

"And if I'm in chronic pain, I'm either going to make bad decisions for patients or I'm going to start taking Vicodin again, or both," he added.

"But Chase—" Cuddy protested.

"And I don't think you want a chronic pain patient or a drug addict making decisions about newborns," he interrupted.

"You don't even know how bad the pain is going to be. Why are you jumping to conclusions?" Cuddy asked him.

Chase sighed quietly and looked down at his lap, avoiding her questioning stare.

"So you're never going to practice medicine again?" Cuddy demanded.

Chase shrugged, still not looking at her.

"What does Sophie think about all this?" Cuddy asked him.

Upon hearing Sophie's name, Chase felt his heart ache.

"…She doesn't know," Chase whispered.

"When are you planning on telling her?" Cuddy asked, noticing his change in demeanor.

Chase finally looked up with a sorrowful expression.

"Sophie broke up with me on Monday night… so… most likely, never," Chase admitted. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At the same time, House and Cameron were in the NYU hospital cafeteria.

House was devouring a Reuben sandwich while Cameron was picking at her chef's salad.

"So have you and Chase researched the _Top Ten Most Romantic Beach Resorts_ yet?" House asked her.

Cameron glared at him for a brief second before looking down at her untouched salad, surmising from Chase's cryptic comments before his surgery and House's snarkiness that Chase and Sophie must have ended their relationship.

"Hey, maybe you wanna double date with me and Cuddy," House asked in an overly enthusiastic tone.

"We… haven't talked about anything yet," Cameron admitted softly.

"He's gonna be back on Vicodin before you know it," House stated.

Cameron stared at him. "They're putting him on a non- opioid pain regimen," she said.

"Yeah, and I'm sure that'll last for a total of one whole day," House shot back.

"You don't know that," Cameron argued.

"Yes I do," House replied confidently.

"He's not like you," Cameron stated defiantly.

"_PAIN IS PAIN_," House said, his bright blue eyes staring intently into Cameron's eyes.

Cameron refused to look away from his stare, but inside she felt as if she was shrinking.

"Stacy was miserable after my infarction and surgery, because I shut her out," House told her.

"Chase won't do that to me," Cameron argued.

"What makes you so sure?" House demanded, his eyes now penetrating her.

Cameron couldn't look in his eyes any longer. She sat back in her chair and looked down at her lap.

"A few years ago... Chase used to tell me every Tuesday that he liked me and that he wanted us to be together," Cameron confessed.

"I kept pushing him away… but he never gave up," she continued with a slight laugh.

House leaned back in his chair and nodded slowly in understanding.

"You don't love him. You love how he loved you," House said in realization.

Cameron's mouth turned down as the tears began to well up in her eyes, sadly thinking to herself that the only person who had really loved her ever since her husband died was Chase.

"Can you blame me?" Cameron asked, her voice cracking.

House took a deep breath and let it out.

"No I can't," he admitted.

"But I know what Chase is feeling right now," he added.

Cameron sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, focusing on House once more.

"And unless you're _absolutely sure_ that you can put your own needs and wants aside for a really long time while he learns how to deal with this…" House continued.

"Then you're _BOTH_ going to be miserable," House finished.

TBC…


	64. Chapter 62

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO VERY MUCH FOR READING AND FOR YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS!! **

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!  
**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

****************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 62: Please read and comment.**

A while later, House and Cuddy were in a cab, traveling south in I- 95, headed back to Princeton. House was sitting in the front seat next to the driver to try to minimize the discomfort for his leg. His cane was resting against his thigh between his legs.

He glanced in the passenger side rear- view mirror and saw that Cuddy in the back staring out the window in silence.

"You know, I've heard that good communication is the key to maintaining a healthy relationship," House said dryly from the front seat.

"You've been spending way too much time with Wilson," Cuddy mumbled.

House smirked as she continued to look out the window, the disappointment evident in her face.

"I can't believe Chase won't take the job," Cuddy stated.

House pursed his lips together, having nothing to say.

"When I offered you the Diagnostics Department, you snatched it up right away," Cuddy added.

"That's because I'd already _BEEN_ through my period of recovery and self- loathing. His is just starting," House reminded her.

"He's not going to be in as much pain as you were, and he's definitely not going to have a huge scar—" Cuddy began.

Upon hearing the words escape her mouth, Cuddy suddenly stopped herself in mid sentence.

House turned around to face her with an amused glance.

"I can't _BELIEVE_ I just said that," Cuddy whispered, her voice a mixture of shock and embarrassment.

"_YOU'VE_ been spending way too much time with _ME_," House snarked.

Cuddy slumped her shoulders and sighed in exhaustion, looking out the window once more. House turned his entire body in the seat to face her better.

"Chase suddenly has to deal with limitations on his life that he never had before," House began.

"Which is exactly why I offered him Chief of NICU. So he would know that he has other options," Cuddy said.

"He doesn't see it that way," House told her.

"All he sees right now is that he won't be able to snowboard, or surf or jog or take long walks or have sex standing up or do anything that involves standing for long periods of time without reaching for a cane or meds or both," House continued.

"And that you took pity on him by offering him a cushy job," House added.

"Running the NICU is _NOT_ a walk in the park!" Cuddy argued.

"Compared to working for me and performing surgery it is," House pointed out.

"So you're saying I insulted him?" Cuddy demanded lightly.

"I think he's too screwed up right now to be insulted," House told her.

As House turned back around to face the front, the cab driver shot House a sidelong glance at his comment about sex standing up and then glanced at his cane.

He then snuck a peak at Cuddy in the back seat with a tiny grin on his face, getting an eyeful of her ample cleavage that was accented by her blouse.

"If you want a tip by the time we get back to Princeton, I suggest you focus on driving instead of what I think you're focusing on," Cuddy told the cab driver in an authoritative tone.

The driver immediately looked back at the highway at Cuddy's words, a flush creeping up his face.

House, noticing the driver's embarrassment, leaned over to him in the seat.

"By the way. They're real… and they're _SPECTACULAR_," House said to the driver in a conspiratorial tone. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Later that night, Sophie was in her apartment, finishing her PowerPoint slides on her laptop for her presentation on newborn skin conditions present at birth for her Chief Resident and Grand Rounds supervisor, Dr. Lucas.

She was scheduled to give her presentation tomorrow morning and had planned on pulling an all- nighter to finish it.

But since she had broken up with Chase two nights ago, she had immersed herself in her work so much that she was ahead of schedule to the point where sleeping just might be an actual possibility.

She glanced at her cell phone, which was resting next to her laptop.

She hadn't spoken to Chase since Monday night, when he had tried to spend one more intimate night with her.

She then shook her head slightly and looked away from her phone, dismissing all thought of calling him.

Just then her cell phone rang, startling her. She glanced at the caller ID, smiling in disappointment to see the name "JIMMY" appear on the display.

"Hey big bro," Sophie said into the phone.

"Hey little So. How's the work coming?" Wilson asked her in a cheerful voice.

"Nearly there. Just finishing my slides," she replied.

Wilson paused for a moment before asking his next question.

"… Have you eaten anything today?" Wilson asked her.

Sophie rolled her eyes. "It's on my to- do list," she replied in exasperation.

"Sophie, you've barely eaten anything since Monday—" Wilson began in a chiding tone.

"Jimmy, don't tell me you ate three meals a day when you were in med school," Sophie argued.

"You and I _BOTH_ know that your sudden loss in appetite has _NOTHING_ to do with your work load," Wilson argued back.

"… I'm just not hungry, all right?" Sophie said weakly.

"You think Chase is starving himself right now?" Wilson demanded.

"… I don't care what he's doing right now," Sophie muttered glumly.

"You're a lousy liar when you're not at a card table," Wilson told her.

Sophie chuckled, knowing that he was right.

"…How's he doing?" she asked softly.

Wilson had spoken to Cuddy and House when they had returned from Princeton that afternoon, and he knew exactly how Chase was doing.

But based on what they had told him, he didn't feel right about delivering the news to her.

"Why don't you give him a call and find out?" Wilson suggested.

"I don't want to talk to him," Sophie said dismissively.

"Yes you do, because you still love him," Wilson replied.

"You wouldn't remind me of that if you didn't know something that you're not telling me," Sophie said knowingly.

Wilson paused and exhaled before continuing.

"Chase's surgery… didn't go as expected…" Wilson began vaguely.

Sophie felt a surge of anxiety rise from her stomach to her throat. She knew her brother all too well to recognize the tone of voice he reserved for delivering bad news.

"What happened?" Sophie asked worriedly.

"…He could really use a friend right now," was all that Wilson said in reply.

The anxiety inside Sophie began to spread throughout her body.

"I'll give him a call soon," Sophie assured him.

"And don't make me come up there and force feed you. It'll embarrass us both," Wilson admonished her. 

---------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time that Sophie and Wilson had finished their conversation, Chase was resting in his hospital room alone.

Cameron had gone home quite a while ago, telling Chase that hospital regulations wouldn't let her stay the night.

Chase didn't even bother to argue with her to try to coax her to stay with him.

Since he had been admitted to the hospital that morning, they hadn't talked about his breakup with Sophie or about their unresolved feelings for each other.

And he could tell that ever since she had returned from lunch with House in the cafeteria that afternoon that something seemed off about her.

But at this point, he wasn't even sure what his feelings were.

Cameron had given him a peck on his lips before she left for the night and he had kissed her back.

But as they had awkwardly looked into each other's eyes after their kiss, he knew that something didn't feel right.

Rather than dwell on it, Chase upped his morphine and reached for the remote on the bedside table.

He tuned the TV in his room into the Sci- Fi channel, hoping to catch a rerun of Battlestar Galactica.

But instead, a black and white image of Rod Serling appeared on his TV.

_"Maple Street, U.S.A. Late summer. A tree-lined little world of front porch gliders, barbecues, the laughter of children, and the bell of an ice-cream vendor. At the sound of the roar and the flash of light, it will be precisely 6:43pm on Maple Street. This is Maple Street on a late Saturday afternoon. Maple Street, in the last calm and reflective moment before the monsters came… in the Twilight Zone…"_ Rod Serling began, holding a cigarette as he usually did during his opening narrative.

Chase smiled wistfully, remembering that this was Sophie's favorite Twilight Zone episode.

He remembered that the last time he had seen it, he was spooned up behind her underneath his blanket in his bed, cupping her breast and grazing her nipple delicately with his thumb.

He also remembered that they hadn't gotten past watching the opening segment.

He felt his cock stir underneath his hospital gown, wondering if Sophie was watching too.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

About five minutes later, the hospital phone in Chase's room rang. Keeping his eyes glued to the TV, he reached over to the beside table and grabbed the receiver.

"Hello?" Chase said into the phone.

"…Hi Robbie, it's Sophie," Sophie said after a concerted pause.

Chase's jaw dropped.

"… Hi!" he said in surprise and happiness, a wonderful, warm feeling enveloping him at the sound of her voice.

"Did I wake you?" she asked.

"No, I was just watching TV. Your favorite 'Twilight Zone' is on," he said, a smile forming on his face.

Sophie couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, I know. I'm watching it, too," she replied, already feeling her heart flutter from the sound of his soft, gentle voice.

"It's so good to hear from you," Chase said sincerely.

For a moment, Sophie didn't reply. She willed herself to not read too much into his simple words.

"I'm so sorry I didn't call you earlier. I've been ridiculously busy with this presentation I have to make tomorrow morning," Sophie finally said.

"That's all right. I understand," Chase told her.

"…So how did the surgery go?" Sophie asked him.

"…Well… Eng was able to extract the tumor without causing any nerve damage--" Chase began.

"House was right about it being a tumor," Sophie interrupted in a somber tone.

"But it was benign," he assured her quickly.

Sophie exhaled in relief. "Oh, thank god! Jimmy had me so worried," she said.

"Why? What did he tell you?" Chase asked.

"He said that the surgery didn't go as you expected it to," Sophie replied.

Chase pursed his lips together and swallowed, finding it difficult to continue.

"Robbie, is something wrong?" Sophie asked, sensing his hesitation.

Chase closed his eyes, steeling himself to tell her the rest.

"It turns out I never had a sprain. I had a hairline fracture that didn't show up on any of the imaging… and it never healed right," Chase replied.

At first, Sophie was silent.

"_The orthopedist misdiagnosed you_," Sophie whispered.

"Yeah," Chase said softly.

"…You're still in pain," she said, still not able to speak up completely.

"Well, I'm not right now because I'm on morphine…" Chase said, trailing off, his voice cracking at the end of his sentence.

Sophie felt her heart ache horribly for him as the corners of her mouth turned down and tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry," Sophie said tearfully.

A tiny chuckle escaped Chase's lips.

"You called me '_baby_,'" he told her softly.

"I didn't mean to. It just slipped out," she said quickly, wiping her tears.

"But I liked it," Chase admitted, his voice catching as he spoke.

Sophie laughed slightly despite the overwhelming emotions churning inside her.

"Listen… I know you have your presentation tomorrow, and I don't want to keep you if you're busy—" Chase began.

"I'm not leaving you," Sophie declared emphatically.

"… You'll still stay with me?" he asked sadly.

"You need me," she said.

"You have no idea how much," Chase said, his voice full of emotion.

"…Robbie, I have something to tell you," Sophie began carefully.

"What?" Chase said, worriedly.

"…I stole your sweatshirt," Sophie admitted.

Chase laughed out loud, brusquely wiping the tears from his eyes that he didn't even realize were there.

"I'm glad," he replied, finding his smile once again.

TBC…


	65. Chapter 63

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND REVIEWING!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER...**

**WITH SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR MY HUDDY BUDDIES! ;)**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-)**

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**CHAPTER 63: Please read and comment.**

A half- hour later, Chase and Sophie were still on the phone. '_The Monsters are Due on Maple Street_,' Sophie's favorite '_Twilight Zone,_' episode had ended a few minutes ago.

"So that's twice now that we haven't actually watched that episode together when it was on," Chase pointed out.

"Didn't realize you were keeping track," Sophie quipped.

"Well, the first time we missed it was a lot more fun," Chase said playfully.

Sophie giggled, remembering that the reason why they hadn't finished watching it the first time was because they were having sex.

"I'd have to agree with that," she admitted.

They shared a silence for a moment as Sophie realized how comfortable she felt talking to Chase despite what had happened between them on Monday night.

"You know, I think this is the easiest break- up I've ever been through," Sophie admitted.

Chase felt a twinge in his heart upon hearing her say the word 'break- up.'

But he quickly pushed it aside.

"You never really told me about your break- up with Joey," Chase said thoughtfully.

"There's not much to tell," Sophie replied. "He quit school to play poker full time and I ended it."

"You ended it because he quit school," Chase repeated in slight disbelief.

"Yes," Sophie replied simply.

Chase didn't respond to this. For some reason, he felt that there was much more to this story, but he didn't feel right about pressing her.

"Is he still calling you?" Chase asked.

"Yep," Sophie answered with a sigh.

"Have you spoken to him yet?" Chase asked.

"No, and I don't plan to," Sophie replied.

"I still can't believe you quit your job," Sophie said in an attempt to steer the conversation away from Joey.

"Think it's too late for me to turn pro at poker?" he quipped.

"Yeah, I do," she replied with a small laugh.

Chase laughed as well. Sophie exhaled quietly, relieved that her attempt to deflect had worked.

"…Cuddy… offered me another position… but I turned her down," Chase said hesitantly.

"What was the position?" Sophie asked.

"Chief of NICU," Chase said dismissively.

Sophie only paused for a moment. She blinked twice.

"Are you _INSANE_?!" she exclaimed incredulously over the phone.

"That's a fantastic job! Why would you possibly turn that down?" she demanded.

"For the same reason I resigned from surgery," Chase explained.

"But now that the tumor's out, the pain isn't going to be as bad as it was," Sophie pointed out.

"You don't know that," Chase said.

"And neither do you," Sophie said quickly.

"Sophie… I have to be realistic about my limitations—" Chase said.

"You're _AFRAID_," Sophie stated flatly, interrupting him.

Chase froze, feeling his entire body tense up at her statement.

Because she was absolutely right.

And he still couldn't get over how well she was able to read him.

"Tell me what you're afraid of," Sophie said, a bit more gently.

"…When House and Cuddy came to visit me this afternoon… I… looked at House's cane…" Chase began, trailing off.

Sophie remained silent, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"And I thought… that's gonna be me," Chase said sadly, but feeling oddly relieved that he admitted it to her at the same time.

"It doesn't have to be," Sophie told him.

"They're putting me on a non- opioid pain regimen and prescribing PT. It's not gonna be enough—" Chase began.

"You have to try," she said insistently.

"Why?" Chase said, barely above a whisper.

"Because if you don't, you might as well just go back on the Vicodin now and stay in that hospital bed forever," Sophie replied in a serious tone.

For a moment, Chase pictured himself in the exact way that Sophie described.

"…What if the meds don't work?" he asked her.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," she replied.

"'_WE_?'" Chase repeated, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"You know that I'm always here for you if you need me," she reassured him softly.

"Why are you so good to me?" he asked her.

"You know the answer to that, too," she replied.

Chase pressed his lips together, almost afraid to ask his next question.

"You still love me even after what I did to you on Monday night?" Chase asked.

"You're the love of my life. That'll never change," she told him sincerely.

"…And you really don't think I wanted to spend one more night with you?" she added in a raspy voice.

"And you really think that I wanted to make love to you out of guilt?" Chase asked her back in a soft and gentle tone.

Sophie's breath caught in her throat, having no idea how to respond.

She wanted to believe him desperately, that she was wrong about the fact that she thought Chase didn't love her in the same way that she loved him.

But before she could say anything, Chase interrupted her thoughts.

"_Fuck_," Chase muttered.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I have call waiting. Can you hang on for a bit?" he asked her.

"Sure," she replied.

Chase leaned over to the night- stand and clicked over to the other call.

"Hello?" Chase said.

"Hi, Chase," Cameron said on the other end.

"…Hi," Chase said with surprise.

He was not expecting to hear from Cameron for the rest of the night.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"I'm fine… but I'm actually on another call right now," Chase replied.

"Oh I'm sorry. I just wanted to know what time I should be there tomorrow to pick you up," Cameron told him.

"They're discharging me at eleven, so you could just come a bit before then," Chase suggested.

"Ok. I'll be there before eleven," Cameron replied before hanging up.

Chase hesitated briefly before clicking back to Sophie on the other end, starting to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to stay with Cameron for the next two days. He then pressed the button on the phone to go back to Sophie.

"I'm sorry about that," Chase said to Sophie good- naturedly.

"… That was Cameron, wasn't it?" Sophie asked softly.

"She just wanted to know what time to come pick me up tomorrow morning," Chase said dismissively.

"So you're staying with her in Manhattan?" Sophie clarified, her voice still soft.

"Only for two days. Then I'm going back to Princeton," Chase replied, hoping that Sophie wasn't too upset.

"…Maybe you could come visit me once I'm home? I'll pay for your airfare," Chase offered carefully.

"That's… not necessary," Sophie replied hesitantly.

"But I want to see you," Chase told her, almost pleading with her.

"…I want to see you too…" Sophie said truthfully.

"…But I don't think it's a good idea for us to see each other until you figure things out with Cameron," she said as strongly as she could.

"I kissed her," Chase suddenly blurted out.

At first Sophie was stunned. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

"Before Cameron left tonight, I kissed her," he repeated.

"…W-why would you tell me that?" Sophie asked, her chest filling with hurt.

"Because it was forced and awkward… and with you it's not like that at all," Chase stated.

"When I kiss you, it just feels right," Chase said, his voice full of emotion.

Sophie paused at first, deciding what to say. She knew that Chase was extremely vulnerable at the moment and was most likely feeling lonely in the hospital by himself.

She also knew that if she went down to Princeton to see him, that she wouldn't be able to resist him. She'd wind up in his arms and in his bed.

She wanted so much to tell him that she was aching for his touch and his kiss.

But as much as she wanted him to make love to her, she knew she had to be strong, or he would break her heart all over again.

"I'll make you a deal," she finally said.

"I'll come see you this weekend if you take that job as Chief of NICU," Sophie told him.

Chase's eyebrows shot up in complete surprise.

"You're serious," Chase stated, dumbfounded.

"_Completely_," Sophie replied.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Around ten minutes later, Cuddy's phone rang in her bedroom. She flapped the page in her paperback copy of '_Dragonfly in Amber_,' by Diana Gabaldon, closed the book and picked up her cordless phone off her night-stand.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hi, Dr. Cuddy. It's Chase," Chase said on the other end.

"…Hi, Chase," she replied after a pause, slightly surprised to hear from him.

"I hope I didn't call too late," Chase said apologetically.

"No, not at all. Is everything all right?" she asked him.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking…" Chase began.

"…And if the position of Chief of NICU is still available—" Chase continued.

"It is, and it's yours," Cuddy interrupted him with a grin.

Chase closed his eyes and smiled in relief.

"My recovery time should coincide with Harris' retirement, so I'll be able to start straight away in a few weeks," Chase told her in a professional manner.

"That sounds perfect," Cuddy affirmed.

"… Thank you, Lisa," Chase said in a heartfelt manner.

"You're welcome," she replied affectionately before hanging up.

As she placed the phone back on the night- stand, she felt House press his body up against her back. He wrapped his arm around her midsection and caressed her toned abdomen above her silk camisole.

"What are you doing?" Cuddy asked him with an arched eyebrow.

"Celebrating. Chase took the job," House replied as he slid his hand up her body to cup her breast over the soft, silky fabric.

Cuddy snorted. "Like you care," she said.

"_YOU_ care, which means you're happy…" House said in a soft, sultry tone next to her ear.

"Which means my boys are gonna get another chance to swim," House whispered.

"Well if that isn't a turn on, I don't know what is," Cuddy said her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You want me to turn you on?" House asked her huskily.

"Mmm hmmm," she replied in a throaty, demure tone.

"It's always been my understanding that chicks who were trying to get pregnant liked to skip the foreplay and get right to it," House teased.

Cuddy turned around in the bed to face him and seductively wrapped her leg around his hip, pulling her closer to him. She could feel his bulging erection through his boxers against her lacy low rise panties.

"Don't believe everything you read on Facebook," she replied coyly.

They kissed, their lips exploring each other's tenderly at first. They then opened their mouths in unison, their tongues caressing blissfully.

As they kissed, he cupped her breast once more over her camisole again, causing her to gasp against his mouth.

"You like when I touch your breasts?" House whispered.

"So much," she moaned, almost in desperation.

House grazed her taut, erect nipple with his thumb, pinching it ever so slightly. She whimpered as a deliciously electric feeling surged through her.

Loving her response to his touch, he trailed his lips down the supple, creamy skin on her neck to the hollow at the base of her throat.

He rolled her over gently onto her back. She began to wrap both her legs around him to pull him closer, but he stopped her before she could.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking into his eyes, which were blazing with intensity.

"Nothing," he replied.

He then rolled off her onto his side. Lying next to her, he delicately peeled up her camisole off her abdomen and her breasts.

He raked her gorgeous body with his eyes, noticing how both her nipples began to pucker at his gaze. Her breathing had become ragged, the excitement building within her at the way he was staring at her.

He slipped his hands between her thighs, causing her to shudder at his touch.

He placed his hand over her silk panties, slowly stroking her against the fabric.

"Are you wet for me, baby?" House asked her in a low voice.

"Yes…" Cuddy whispered.

He then slid his hand underneath her panties, feeling her moist, velvety core. She gasped again, thrusting her hips against his fingers, wanting so much more.

"Mmm… yes you are," House said approvingly.

He began to stroke her elusive sensitive spot, making her eyes flutter closed in pleasure. She arched back again on the bed, grabbing the sheet.

As he continued to pleasure her, his lips found one of her nipples. He licked and suckled vigorously, loving the feeling of it in his mouth.

"_Oh god_…" Cuddy managed to say, feeling her orgasm approaching.

Feeling her tight, wet walls begin to flutter against his fingers, he abruptly took them out of her.

"No, please don't stop," Cuddy begged.

"We're not done," he reassured her in a breathy voice.

He then peeled off her panties, past her thighs, legs, and toes, tossing them onto the floor, his eyes tracing her glistening sex as he did so, causing his cock to twitch.

She eagerly pulled his boxers down over his hips. He shrugged them off the rest of the way.

She spread her legs for him as he forcefully thrust inside her.

"Oh _yes_!!" she cried out, her lips parting in passion.

As he pushed into her, she clawed his back under his t- shirt and firmly locked her legs around him.

He groaned gutturally with every powerful thrust inside her, feeling the intense pressure build up within him.

"More…" Cuddy pleaded as each stroke of his cock inside her caused more friction against her nub.

He somehow managed to lift his upper body off hers as he continued to thrust deeply.

Her eyes were closed, her long lashes almost grazing her cheeks, which were flushed deeply.

He couldn't take his eyes off how beautiful she was. How erotic she looked with her mouth open as sexy cries escaped her lips.

"…Oh _GOD_ Lisa!" he moaned as he exploded inside her.

Her entire body tensed as he filled her up, not moving a muscle, holding him as close to her as she possibly could.

TBC...


	66. Chapter 64

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING AND FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS!!!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

***************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 64: Please read and comment.**

**FRIDAY MORNING:**

At around 9:30 AM, House slowly limped through the entrance to PPTH.

Wilson was standing by the charge nurse's station, chatting with one of the nurses with a patient's file in his hand when House limped by him.

Wilson braced himself for one of House's early morning insults or a possible interrogation as to why he would be talking to another female human being if he was with Debbie.

But House did neither.

Instead, House continued to limp past the nurse's station.

Wilson nearly did a double take as House did so.

But what made him arch his eyebrow was that House wasn't standing up completely straight as he walked.

In fact, he was decidedly hunched over.

"Excuse me," Wilson said to the nurse he had been talking to.

He then hurried up to House, who was leaning on his cane a bit more heavily than usual at the elevator doors, waiting for the door to open.

Once he reached House and saw his face, both his eyebrows shot up.

"You look like crap. What happened to you?" Wilson demanded as he examined the tired and painful expression on House's face.

"I'm OLD. That's what happened," House muttered as he hit the button for the elevator once more with the butt of his cane.

Wilson grimaced, completely confused as the elevator doors opened. Both House and Wilson backed up slightly as a crowd of people got off the elevator. House then limped inside the empty elevator and turned towards Wilson, who was still confused.

"I'm fifty years old, my girlfriend who is at least ten years younger than me is trying to get pregnant and is an overachiever at everything. You do the math," House said quickly in exasperation as he placed his hand on his lower back.

A look of amused epiphany appeared on Wilson's face.

_"YOU THREW YOUR BACK OUT HAVING SEX WITH CUDDY?!" _Wilson exclaimed with a broad grin.

House exhaled deeply and pressed the inside elevator button for his floor, ignoring Wilson's enjoyment of the situation.

"Oh ho ho, this is just _too_ good!" Wilson said, still grinning mischievously.

House met his eyes with a look of slight trepidation, dreading what scheme Wilson might have been concocting in his brain at that moment before the elevator doors closed. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

That same day, a little after 11:00 AM, Chase, Cameron and Dr. Eng, Chase's surgeon, were in Chase's hospital room at NYU hospital. Chase was sitting on his bed, dressed in his street clothes.

His left ankle was sporting a clean surgical dressing and he was wearing a post- operative rigid soled shoe. A new pair of crutches that had been sized for him were leaning against the bed.

"We're putting you on a short course of Keflex as a prophylactic treatment to prevent post operative infection," Eng said, handing him a prescription. "Let us know if you have any redness, swelling, drainage at the incision site or a fever of 101 or more."

Eng then handed Chase a pre- printed sheet with facts on home care after surgery, which explained guidelines for bathing, activity and other precautions for him to take.

"You know all of this already," Eng said. "But we're required to give it out."

Chase nodded with a slight smile and took the paper from him, glanced at it, and gave it to Cameron.

"Now, as far as pain meds…" Eng began.

Chase inhaled slightly and waited for Eng to continue with slight dread.

"You're going to take Tylenol 3 for two days. Then after that, you're going to switch to Ultram, 50 mg 1-2 times a day as needed. I'm also prescribing you a Lidoderm patch to place on your ankle under the dressing for 12 hours a day if necessary," Eng told him as he wrote out the prescriptions for him.

Chase and Cameron looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Dr. Eng… Tylenol 3 has Codeine in it…" Chase reminded him.

"You've been on morphine for 24 hours and you've been on Vicodin before that. Ultram is pretty good as a non- addictive pseudo- opiate, but we're going to try to minimize your withdrawal symptoms by weaning you off opiates gradually," Eng replied in a professional manner.

"So I could still have withdrawal," Chase clarified.

"It's likely," Eng replied.

Not knowing what else to say, Chase nodded in reply.

"Call us if you need anything," Eng said before excusing himself.

After Eng left the room, Chase and Cameron looked at each other awkwardly.

"Maybe the withdrawal won't be that bad," Cameron said, trying to sound optimistic.

"Maybe," Chase repeated, not sounding convinced.

"Are you ready to go?" Cameron asked him.

"Yeah, I guess," Chase replied.

Cameron helped Chase off the bed and handed him his crutches. Chase kept his left foot off the floor as he hobbled out of the hospital room. Cameron took Chase's overnight bag for him.

"I made up the spare room for you and put away all your clothes in the dresser in there. And I also bought a Wii video game system for you with some games so you don't get bored," Cameron told him as they slowly made their way to the elevators.

Chase smiled politely. "Thank you," he said.

He didn't have the heart to remind her that it was Xbox that he loved and that he couldn't stand Wii because it seemed that she had gone through a lot of trouble for him.

They waited by the elevator in silence when both of them suddenly heard a fairly familiar voice.

"Dr. Cameron?" a male voice asked.

Both Cameron and Chase turned around to see a man around Chase's height with closely cropped dark hair, and a rather adorable smile staring at them with recognition. The man was wearing a white buttoned down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the top button opened with a pair of dark khaki slacks.

"… Sebastian??" Cameron finally said after staring at him for a moment.

Dr. Sebastian Charles grinned back when Cameron recognized him.

"I thought that was you, but I wasn't sure because you changed your hair. How are you?" he asked her in a friendly manner.

"I'm good. How are you?" Cameron replied as an excited smile formed on her face.

"Doing very well," Charles replied, his own smile matching hers.

Chase was standing there with an amused expression on his face as he leaned on his crutches, watching Cameron's reaction to seeing the world famous doctor who they had treated for TB years ago.

He also remembered that Dr. Charles had asked Cameron to come with him to Africa back then.

And he was positive that Cameron had remembered this fact based on the way her eyes were sparkling at him.

Suddenly, Cameron remembered that Chase was standing next to him. She quickly turned towards him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You remember Dr. Chase," Cameron said quickly, gesturing to Chase as she did so.

"Of course I do. What happened?" Charles asked him, jutting his chin towards Chase's leg.

"Just had surgery on my ankle, but I'm fine," he said dismissively, knowing that the way Charles was looking at Cameron at this moment, that he had no interest in hearing the details of his ankle.

"So what are you doing in Manhattan?" Cameron asked Charles as she turned away from Chase.

"The clinic that I head up in the Central African Republic developed a partnership with NYU hospital a few years ago," Charles replied.

"We've had a lot of help from some very generous people since Dr. House treated me," he added as he handed her his card.

"…That's wonderful!" Cameron replied sincerely as she took his card.

"What are _YOU_ doing in Manhattan? You don't work for House anymore?" Charles asked her with interest.

"No, not for two years now," Cameron replied with a chuckle.

"I'd love to know that story," Charles said.

Cameron could feel the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end at the way Charles was gazing at her and at his direct, yet unassuming demeanor as he spoke to her.  

"Well I'd love to know more about the clinic you're running," Cameron replied.

"I'll be in town for a couple of weeks… maybe we could catch up over dinner?" Charles suggested hopefully.

"Friday night?" Charles added.

Cameron opened her mouth to say that she already had plans for Friday night when Chase suddenly interrupted her before she had the chance to speak.

"She'd love to," Chase stated firmly to Sebastian.

Cameron sharply turned her head towards Chase, her eyes almost popping out of her head. Chase was wearing an impish smile.

She then turned back to Charles, who was also smiling.

"Great," Charles said with a happy nod. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

"Why did you tell Sebastian that I'd see him on Friday night?" Cameron demanded lightly of Chase from her kitchen.

Cameron and Chase had been back at Cameron's apartment in Manhattan for a while. Chase was sitting on Cameron's cream- colored leather sectional couch in her living room with his foot resting on a matching ottoman that she had set up for him.

"You don't want to see him? The enamored puppy dog- look in your eyes begged to differ," Chase quipped coyly.

Cameron came into the room with bowls of pasta salad and grilled chicken for them that she had prepared that morning.

"It's not that. I'm supposed to see Neil for drinks on Friday night, remember?" Cameron reminded him, neatly avoiding the fact that she actually had been quite enamored with Charles upon seeing him again.

"So cancel," Chase said simply as he took one of the bowls and a fork from her.

"I can't do that. He did me a favor by getting Eng to operate on you," Cameron replied as she sat down next to him on the couch and placed her own bowl of pasta and fork on the coffee table in front of them.

Chase took a forkful of pasta salad in his mouth.

"And now the surgery's done," Chase said with a glint in his eye in between bites.

"No. That's not right," Cameron said reproachfully, shaking her head.

"Neither was cheating on his wife with you and telling you that he was divorced," Chase told her plainly with a pointed look.

"…It really bothered you that he lied to me, didn't it?" Cameron asked him.

"Yeah, it did," Chase replied in a more serious tone.

"Why?" Cameron asked.

Chase leaned forward and put his bowl of pasta down on the coffee table in front of him. He then faced Cameron, gazing into her blue- green eyes.

"Because you deserve a lot better," Chase stated simply.

Cameron met his gaze, feeling her heart begin to hammer in her chest.

"I _had_ a lot better," Cameron said sincerely to him, her eyes penetrating his.

"And I never appreciated it," Cameron added softly with regret in her voice, looking down at her lap.

"…If I'm gonna be staying here for two days, we should probably clear the air," Chase said gently.

Cameron nodded and met his gaze once more.

"There's still something between us, isn't there?" Cameron asked him.

"There probably always will be," Chase replied.

"…Is… that why things didn't work out between you and Sophie?" Cameron asked tentatively.

Chase exhaled. "She thinks that the only thing I love about her is the _WAY_ she loves me," Chase said.

Cameron tensed, remembering how House had helped her to realize that that was exactly how she felt about Chase.

"Sound familiar?" Chase asked her.

Cameron's jaw dropped in shock.

"…Chase, I—" Cameron stammered.

"You loved your husband, and he died. You loved House, and he never returned your feelings. And Stern treated you horribly," Chase interrupted her in his usual gentle manner, taking her hand in his.

"And when I said to Sophie in the poker room last weekend that I'll keep chasing her until she took me back, you wanted someone to say that to you," Chase added.

Cameron's lower lip quivered as Chase gazed at her kindly. He then held his arm out to her, motioning for her to come close to him. She sadly lay against his chest as he pulled her against him.

"You want to be loved, and you deserve to be," Chase said to her.

"So do you," Cameron sniffed against his t- shirt.

"No I don't," Chase mumbled.

"Why do you say that?" Cameron asked in surprise, looking up at him.

"Because I'm an ass, that's why," Chase replied in disgust.

Cameron gazed at him in bewilderment.

"Sophie said that when she first met me, that it was like she got hit by a thunderbolt. That she felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck and goosebumps on her skin," Chase told her remorsefully.

Cameron could tell by his tone that he hadn't felt the same way when he had first met her.

"And that until we broke up, she still felt that way every time we kissed, or held each other—" Chase continued, the regret seeping through his voice.

"Chase, love is different _for_ everyone, and feels differently _TO_ everyone," Cameron interrupted him.

Chase stared at her, stunned.

He had never considered that possibility.

"What did you feel every time you looked at her and kissed her?" Cameron asked him.

"Like… it was the most natural thing in the world… like I've known her my whole life…" Chase began.

"Like she's my home," Chase finished, his voice full of emotion, knowing in his heart that it was absolutely true.

"You have to tell her that," Cameron told him.

"She won't believe anything I say," Chase muttered dismissively.

"She thinks that you _SETTLED_ for her," Cameron told him, knowing exactly that Chase felt the same thing about her not too long ago.

"But I didn't," Chase said honestly.

"Well, if you want her back, you just going to have to show her exactly how special she is to you," Cameron said with a genuine smile. 

--------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few minutes later, Sophie was waiting on line at a Starbucks near the Boston University Campus wearing an olive green suit with a pink lace camisole and black heels when her cell phone rang in her messenger bag.

The caller ID read "**PRIVATE CALLER**."

"Hello?" Sophie said into the phone.

"Hey you," Chase said softly and tenderly on the other end.

Sophie felt a wonderful tingle pass through her at the sound of Chase's voice.

"Hi!" Sophie replied, trying not to let on how happy she was that he called.

"How did your presentation go this morning?" Chase asked her.

"It went very well. Dr. Lucas was actually impressed," Sophie replied, feeling her face morph into a smile.

"Well how could he not be?" Chase said charmingly.

Sophie chuckled at his obvious attempt to win her over, realizing that she didn't mind it in the least.

"…I spoke to Cuddy… and I took the job as Chief of NICU," Chase said.

"Robbie, that's wonderful! When do you start?" Sophie asked him excitedly.

"In a few weeks. I should be done with my recovery by then," Chase said to her, thrilled at her excitement for him.

"I'm so happy for you," Sophie told him in earnest.

"So are you gonna live up to your end of the deal?" Chase asked her coyly.

The grin on Sophie's face widened, remembering that she promised him that if he had taken the job as Chief of NICU that Cuddy had offered him that she would come visit him this weekend.

"I think you know by now that I don't welsh," Sophie replied playfully.

"I'll book you a ticket tonight," Chase told her.

"I can pay—" Sophie began.

"Not this time," Chase interrupted.

"Ok," Sophie acquiesced.

"See you Saturday, baby," Chase told her.

Sophie felt the tingle return and envelop her upon hearing him use his intimate name for her.

"Bye," Sophie said before closing her phone, the smile still on her face.

"Iced Vanilla Latte and a cranberry bliss bar please," Sophie cordially told the cashier at the counter.

"I've got this," a male voice said behind her.

Upon hearing a voice she knew all too well, she around and saw Joey standing behind her, holding a $20 bill out for the cashier. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Later that day, House was in his office with Foreman, Thirteen and Kutner listing symptoms on House's white board when a delivery man entered House's office.

"Excuse me, are you Dr. House?" the delivery man asked.

"Yes," House replied in annoyance, not turning around.

"Package for you from a Dr. Wilson," the man said as he placed a rather large cardboard box on House's glass conference table before leaving.

House turned around with interest. The box was sealed with packing tape. House took his motorcycle keys and sliced open the box.

When he looked inside, he immediately closed the box.

"What is it?" Foreman asked with curiosity.

"Nothing," House replied quickly.

"If you don't want us to see it, that means that it's embarrassing, which means we _HAVE_ to see it," Thirteen said as she got up from the table and opened the box before House had a chance to take it from her.

When she opened it, her jaw dropped.

House rolled his eyes and sat down on one of the chair slowly, as his back was still in pain from his sexcapades with Cuddy the night before.

"What's in the box?" Kutner asked.

"At least _FIFTY_ bottles of Viagra," Thirteen replied laughing, taking one of them out of the box to show him.

Both Foreman and Kutner eagerly peered into the box to see that Thirteen was telling the truth.

Foreman than noticed a slip of paper that was in the box as well. He took it out, read it quickly to himself and cleared his throat, preparing to read it out loud.

**"GREG—**

**FIGURED SOMEONE YOUR AGE COULD USE A LITTLE HELP NOW AND THEN.**

**-JAMES,"**

**TBC…**


	67. Chapter 65

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR GREAT REVIEWS!!**

**THIS IS A LONG CHAPTER, BUT A LOT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO MOVE THE STORY ALONG.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 65: Please read and comment.**

**THURSDAY:**

A few moments after Joey had paid for Sophie's iced vanilla latte and cranberry bliss bar, the two of them were sitting at a table inside the Boston University Campus.

"You look good for someone who got shivved with a box cutter a week ago," Sophie snarked.

"The wonders of modern medicine," Joey replied airily.

"Or the hospital kicked you out because they needed the beds," Sophie retorted.

"Potato po- tah- to," Joey shrugged.

"So are you stalking me, or you just felt a craving for something foamy and overpriced?" Sophie asked him, taking a sip of her latte.

"…I wanted to make sure you were ok," Joey admitted.

"I'm fine. Now leave me alone," Sophie replied curtly, licking her lips and placing her latte down on the table.

"You didn't seem fine when you threw up all over the ER last weekend," Joey pointed out.

At this, Sophie didn't reply. She inhaled quietly and took a small forkful of her pastry into her mouth, avoiding his stare.

"Why haven't you answered any of my calls?" Joey asked her.

"Because I have nothing to say to you," Sophie replied, wiping her mouth with a nearby paper napkin.

"…I'm sorry that your friend got attacked by that thug—" Joey began.

"No you're not," Sophie interrupted him angrily, finally meeting his eyes menacingly as thoughts of Cuddy with bruises on her face flashed into her mind.

"I saw your face when House wheeled you into the ER. You had NO REMORSE whatsoever," Sophie stated.

"Look, I don't even know the woman—" Joey began defensively.

"And it doesn't even bother you that your actions caused an innocent person to be assaulted and almost raped?" Sophie demanded.

Joey leaned forward in his chair slightly, his gaze locked on hers.

"The only reason that guy went after HER was because he was trying to get to YOU," Joey said coldly.

"So… if you hadn't played in the game, it never would have happened at all," Joey continued.

"Which only reinforces my argument that you're _POISON_," Sophie retorted in deep disgust, practically spitting out the last word in her sentence.

"I saved your _LIFE_," Joey reminded her.

"And I saved _YOURS_, but I'm not looking for recognition," Sophie shot back.

Joey tilted his head slightly, his lips turning up at the corners.

"So how are things with Skippy the Bush Kangaroo?" Joey asked her.

"They're fine," Sophie replied calmly, refusing to show him any of her emotions about Chase.

"Your tell tells me otherwise," Joey said.

"I don't have a tell," Sophie said with a grimace.

"You look like you lost about ten pounds. You stopped eating when _WE_ broke up, too," Joey told her.

At this, Sophie froze. She glanced down at herself in her olive green suit jacket, noticing that it had become looser on her since the last time she had worn it.

"And the pastry means that you're working things out," Joey said, jutting his chin at the cranberry bliss bar in front of her.

Sophie took another small forkful of her pastry, forcing it down her throat, despite the queasy feeling she had due to Joey's astute observations.

"So what happened between you two?" Joey asked.

Sophie took another sip of her latte, still not replying.

"Did it have something to do with that blond girl that was all over him at Mohegan last weekend?" Joey pressed.

Sophie put her latte down and met his gaze once more, her eyes serene, despite the jealousy she felt upon Joey's reference to Cameron.

"This is fun. It's like we're at the poker table," Joey quipped.

"What do you want from me?" Sophie demanded.

"If you're considering getting back together with Chase, then you should know what you're getting into," Joey said.

"And what do you think that is, exactly?" Sophie asked him.

"He's _NEVER_ gonna get over her," Joey stated bluntly.

That remark hit Sophie much harder than Joey knew.

But she wasn't about to show him that.

Instead, she laughed dismissively at him.

"You were only with them for an hour. There's no way you could make a judgment like that—" Sophie began.

"Have you ever known me to read somebody wrong?" Joey asked her.

For a moment, Sophie was caught off guard at his question.

But then, out of nowhere, she figured out that she had an answer to him.

"Yeah. _ME_," Sophie said in realization.

"You thought that I couldn't stay away from the game, but I quit," Sophie told him, feeling a surge of strength within her.

"You really think that by putting on a sexy suit and carrying a briefcase that you can change who you are inside?" Joey asked her.

"I think that by putting on a suit and carrying a briefcase, I'm taking more of a risk than you _ever_ have at any card table," Sophie told him, feeling more confident by the second.

She then leaned forward in her seat, folded her arms, and rested them on the table as she stared right back at Joey.

"Which is why you'll be wearing that disgusting leather jacket and grinding out your rent money for the rest of your life," Sophie said evenly.

"Fifty bucks says you'll be back on the game in three months," Joey challenged her.

"I'm not taking that bet," Sophie replied calmly.

"And why not?" Joey demanded.

"Because in three months, without me looking over your shoulder, you'll probably be DEAD," Sophie replied, not breaking her gaze with him.

Joey felt his chest tighten as she continued to stare right through him.

She then picked up her latte and her messenger bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

"Bye Joey," she said, leaving Joey and her cranberry bliss bar at the table.  

-------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around the same time, Wilson and Debbie were in the cafeteria, having lunch.

"So how did House like his 'gift?'" Debbie asked in a conspiratorial tone.

"Foreman said he almost pissed his pants," Wilson replied, taking a bite of his club sandwich.

"We should send him a crate of 'Depends' next time," Debbie said.

Wilson nearly choked on his food at her remark. Debbie winked at him as he managed to swallow the bite of his sandwich that was in his mouth. He then wiped his mouth with his napkin and leaned over to her.

"Do you know how much I love the fact that the Viagra was your idea?" Wilson asked her sexily.

Debbie grinned. "How much?" she asked.

"Let's just say that I won't have to borrow any of it from House tonight," Wilson replied.

She giggled as their lips met in a kiss, both of them leaning across the table towards each other.

As they broke off their kiss and resumed eating their lunches, Several more people entered the cafeteria, holding yellow sheets of paper.

As they caught sight of Wilson at his table, they smirked and hurried past him, laughing quietly.

Wilson noticed that as more people came into the cafeteria, they were all holding yellow sheets of paper and all smirking and laughing at him in the same manner.

"What's going on?" Debbie asked him.  

Just then House limped into the cafeteria, carrying a stack of yellow sheets of paper, the exact same color yellow as the other cafeteria patrons.

He began to hand them out to the cafeteria workers and to all of the other people in the room at their respective tables.

Pretty soon, the entire cafeteria was giggling, whispering and pointing subtly at Wilson.

Before Wilson could ask House what he had done, House handed Debbie and Wilson a yellow sheet of paper each.

Wilson's eyes bugged out of his head when he read what was on it: 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**TO: FACULTY AND STAFF OF PRINCETON PLAINSBORO TEACHING HOSPITAL**

**FROM: GREGORY HOUSE, M.D., HEAD OF DIAGNOSTIC MEDICINE**

**SUBJECT: WILSON'S PENIS.**

**"JAMES WILSON, M.D., DEPARTMENT HEAD OF ONCOLOGY, IS UNABLE TO GET IT UP WHEN HE'S HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK,"**

**CC: BOARD OF DIRECTORS **

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"_YOU CC'D THIS TO THE BOARD?!_" Wilson exclaimed, clutching the paper in his hands.

House then produced one of the bottles of Viagra that Wilson had delivered to him and tossed it at Wilson, who bobbled it clumsily before catching it.

"For tonight. Just in case," House said.

"… Is this true?" Debbie asked with her eyebrows raised, still holding the memo. 

-------------------------------------------------------------- 

A few moments later, House left the cafeteria, having dropped the memos about Wilson's penis by the cafeteria cash register.

Cuddy was leaning against the opposite wall, with her arms folded across her chest and a mischievous grin on her face.

"You are an evil, cunning woman," House said, a smile broadening on his lips.

"I always say, if you're going to embarrass someone, do it through the proper channels," Cuddy said, her smile matching his.

House gazed into her soft, blue- grey eyes, an intense, sex- filled passion rising in him.

Cuddy bit her lower lip in a sultry manner, feeling her own arousal rise as well.

But knowing that they couldn't do anything about their mutual lust at the moment, House merely limped past her, still bent over slightly from the pain.

Cuddy laughed as she watched him go, remembering their sexcapades from the night before.

But as she turned to head back to her office, she stopped in her tracks as a wave of dizziness washed over her.

Feeling the hallway spin around for a moment, Cuddy stood perfectly still as she closed her eyes.

A few seconds later, the dizziness stopped.

As her head cleared quickly, a slow smile crept across her face. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

**FRIDAY NIGHT: CAMERON'S APARTMENT.**

"Which one?" Cameron asked Chase.

Chase was relaxing on the bed in the spare room in Cameron's apartment, his left ankle propped up on a pillow in front of him.

Cameron was holding two black cocktail dresses out in front of him, one that was strapless and one with a v- neck and spaghetti straps.

"The v- neck. Definitely," Chase affirmed, before turning his attention back to the TV.

She hung the strapless dress on the door and left the room to change into the other dress.

A few moments later, Cameron returned wearing the v- neck dress. The spaghetti straps, plunging v- neck, fan pleated bodice and cummerbund waist accented her slim and elegant torso, while the skirt with a slit hem just above her knee showed off her shapely toned legs.

"Which shoes?" Cameron asked, now holding two pairs of black pumps.

Chase looked up at her and gave her a quick once over.

"He's not gonna notice your feet in that dress," Chase remarked.

Cameron rolled her eyes and settled on the peep toe four inch sling back heels she was holding.

"Are you sure you're gonna be ok here by yourself?" Cameron asked him as she slipped on her shoes.

"I'll be fine," Chase said dismissively. "I've got my pills, the TV, the Wii—"

"You hate the Wii," Cameron interrupted him.

"Who says I hate the Wii?" Chase asked, feigning slight hurt.

"You haven't touched it since you've been here," Cameron said.

Chase gave her an sheepish smile.

"I appreciate the effort," he said.

"Yeah, yeah," Cameron said with a smirk.

Chase chuckled as Cameron turned to look in the full, length mirror behind the door. She adjusted her dress and fluffed up her long, blond hair slightly.

"I still can't believe I'm doing this," Cameron muttered.

"You're gonna have a great time," Chase assured her.

"And you look fantastic," he added.

Cameron turned around and saw Chase smiling at her affectionately. She smiled back, crossed the room, and sat down next to him on the bed.

"…If Neil calls…" Cameron began.

"Tell him you're running away to Africa with a tall, dark and handsome altruistic doctor?" Chase asked, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

"Tell him something came up," Cameron told him, her smile widening.

"You're no fun," Chase scoffed. 

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Almost a half- hour later, Cameron entered an intimate Italian bistro on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

As she did, she immediately saw Dr. Sebastian Charles at the bar, smiling at her, wearing a dark charcoal sport jacket, a crisp light blue button down shirt and a pair of black slacks.

As he walked over to her, Cameron could feel goosebumps form on her skin.

"You look beautiful," Charles said to her with a sweet smile.

"Thank you. You look great, too," Cameron replied.

"The hostess says it's going to be a little while before we can get a table. Would you like a drink while we wait?" Charles asked her.

She suddenly remembered that when she used to go to restaurants with Stern, that he always had their table waiting for them. That he always pulled strings so they got the best of everything.

But at that moment, she realized how happy she was that Charles hadn't done anything like that.

"I'd love one," Cameron said, smiling softly at him.

He placed his hand on her back as he led her back to the bar. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Some time later, Chase was still flipping through the channels alone in Cameron's apartment.

He stopped at one of the movie channels when he saw that "Jaws" was on, just at the moment when Roy Scheider's character said, "That's some bad hat, Harry," to the elderly man in the bathing cap he was talking to.

Chase laughed and immediately reached over for his cell phone, which was on the night stand. 

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

A few moments later, Sophie picked up her cell phone with a smile on her face when she saw who was calling her.

"Either you're watching 'Jaws' or there's no good porn on tv," Sophie quipped as she stretched out on her bed.

"I'm watching Jaws… and I miss you," Chase replied, grinning.

"I'm seeing you tomorrow," Sophie reminded him, smiling even more.

"But that's a whole day away," Chase said, pretending to whine.

"You sound playful. The meds must be working," Sophie said.

"They sure are. I'm on Tylenol 3," Chase told her.

For a moment, Sophie was silent.

"…They put you on Codeine?" Sophie asked, slightly surprised.

"Just for two days. They're weaning me off the opioids gradually so I don't have too much withdrawal," Chase told her.

"And then what?" Sophie asked.

"Then Ultram and possibly a Lidoderm patch if I need it," Chase replied.

"I'm proud of you," Sophie told him sincerely.

"Don't be proud of me yet. I'm still on the Codeine," Chase said in a self- deprecating tone.

"I'm proud of you anyway. You took the job as Chief of NICU and you want the non- opioid regimen to work," Sophie explained.

Chase smiled softly on the other end. "You said I have to try," he reminded her gently.

Sophie felt her heart swell at his words, but didn't say anything.

"It's Friday night. Why are you home?" Chase asked her.

"Because I'm studying and I have to pack for my flight tomorrow to Princeton," Sophie said.

"What are you packing?" Chase asked her.

"…A few things…" Sophie said vaguely, a lilt of teasing in her voice.

"…What are you wearing?" Chase asked her huskily.

"I'm not gonna tell you that," Sophie stated, fighting back a grin.

"Why not?" Chase said, his own grin broadening as he could tell that she was smiling.

"Because… we broke up… and… whatever mental picture you have of me right now isn't going to live up to reality," Sophie replied.

"I might surprise you," Chase suggested.

Sophie laughed. "So what am I wearing in this fantasy?" she asked him.

"Your glasses," Chase replied.

Sophie felt her breath catch. As a reflex, she touched her stylish, brown rectangular framed glasses that she wore while she studied.

"… You… think my _GLASSES_ are sexy?" Sophie asked him.

"_VERY_ sexy," Chase said in a low voice.

"You never told me that," Sophie said, feeling her heart flutter at the sound of his voice.

"I should have," Chase said.

Sophie rolled over onto her side on her bed and leaned on her elbow, raising her knee slightly as she felt arousal stir between her legs.

"…What else am I wearing?" she breathed.

"Oh I've got a whole _BUNCH_ of naughty wardrobe changes in mind," Chase said, thickening his accent for her.

Sophie laughed once more.

"I bet you do," she said.

TBC…


	68. Chapter 66

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR BEING SO PATIENT!!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 66: Please read and comment.**

Sophie laughed. "So what am I wearing in this fantasy?" she asked him.

"Your glasses," Chase replied.

Sophie felt her breath catch. As a reflex, she touched her stylish, brown rectangular framed glasses that she wore while she studied.

"… You… think my _GLASSES_ are sexy?" Sophie asked him.

"_VERY_ sexy," Chase said in a low voice.

"You never told me that," Sophie said, feeling her heart flutter at the sound of his voice.

"I should have," Chase said.

Sophie rolled over onto her side on her bed and leaned on her elbow, raising her knee slightly as she felt arousal stir between her legs.

"…What else am I wearing?" she breathed.

"Oh I've got a whole _BUNCH_ of naughty wardrobe changes in mind," Chase said, thickening his accent for her.

Sophie laughed once more.

"I bet you do," she said.

"Aren't you in Cameron's apartment?" she added.

"Yeah, so?" Chase asked.

"And you feel comfortable talking like this in her apartment?" Sophie clarified.

"She went out on a date," Chase replied coyly.

"A _DATE_?" Sophie asked with interest. "With who?"

"I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. I promise," Chase replied.

Sophie tsked. "That's not fair," she teased.

"So do you want to know what you're wearing or what?" Chase asked her with a grin on his face.  

"Sure," Sophie said with a laugh.

"Right now… you're wearing a white silk blouse, unbuttoned a bit… a red tight skirt just above the knee… your hair's down… you're wearing your glasses…" Chase said in a husky, low voice.

"Ooh, an office fantasy. Do I get to wear 'do me pumps?'" Sophie asked teasingly.

"You already are," Chase told her in the same low tone.

"Am I your boss?" Sophie asked him sexily.

"… That's… a little too close to home," Chase replied after a pause.

Sophie laughed out loud as she remembered that he and Cuddy had spent a torrid night together several months ago.

"Sorry," she said, still laughing.

"You can be my secretary," Chase suggested, still grinning.

"Hmm. Sexy _AND_ sexist. I like it," Sophie said.

"Hey it's _my_ fantasy," Chase protested in jest. "When it's yours, you can make it as progressive as you want."

"I'm just teasing," she reassured him.

Chase laughed, thoroughly enjoying their exchange as his cock twitched in his pants.

"So what happens?" Sophie asked him a bit more seductively, figuring she was having too much fun not to play along. 

"Well… we're working late…" Chase began, his voice still husky.

"Big merger coming up?" Sophie asked sexily.

"Something like that," Chase replied with a grin, understanding and loving her double meaning.

Sophie smiled as she felt an all- too familiar tingle inside her at the sound of Chase's voice.

"You're sitting across from me at my big mahogany desk… your legs are crossed… your skirt's riding up your thigh…" he said.

"Mmm hmm…" Sophie murmured.

"And the luscious curves of your breasts peering out of your blouse are tormenting me," Chase said, barely above a whisper.

"Ohh, this is just a sexual harassment in the workplace lawsuit WAITING to happen," Sophie teased.

"You realize how late we've been working… I tell you that you can go home…" Chase continued on, ignoring her joke.

"…And…" Sophie asked.

"And then you come around to my side of the desk, sit on the top of it, cross your legs slowly in front of me… and ask me if there's anything you can do before you go…" Chase said.

"So I'm a _NAUGHTY_ secretary," Sophie clarified softly.

"_VERY_ naughty," Chase said, thickening his accent for her.

Sophie's breath caught as she felt the tender, sensitive space between her legs twitch. Her breath became shallow as her heartbeat quickened.

"I then pull you onto my lap… you straddle me on my chair… I kiss you passionately as I unbutton your blouse…" Chase said in a way that made her panties moist.

"Robbie…" Sophie breathed as her own hand traveled down her abdomen.

"Your lace bra barely covers your beautiful breasts… driving me wild…" Chase said, his own hand venturing downward underneath his sweats.

Sophie gasped as she toyed with the strings on her pajama pants, wrestling with herself internally if she should slip her hand beneath the waistband to touch herself.

"I trail my lips down your neck as I caress your breasts… teasing your nipples with my thumbs…" Chase said passionately into the phone.

Sophie gasped again.

"How wet are you, baby?" Chase murmured.

"Oh god…" Sophie whimpered, feeling her arousal surge through her.

"…I hike up your skirt a little more… you press your wetness against me…" Chase breathed.

"No Robbie… don't…" she pleaded ignoring the desperate ache between her legs.

"I slip my hand between our bodies… slide my fingers underneath your lace panties…" Chase said, his own erection becoming almost painful with pleasure upon hearing her sexy protest.

"Robbie please..." she protested.

"The tips of my fingers caress your soft, velvety, luscious petals under your panties..." he continued.

"Please stop…" Sophie begged desperately.

Chase's breath caught abruptly in his throat, realizing that she was serious.

"…What's wrong?" Chase managed to say in between breaths.

"I can't do this. I can't be your fuck buddy," Sophie said sadly.

Chase froze, completely stunned at her words.

"Baby, you're not, I swear," he said sincerely.

"I am if I do this," Sophie said, forcing herself to calm down, her arousal at war with her heart.

"Sophie, we're just talking. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," Chase reassured her apologetically.

"You didn't make me feel uncomfortable. You made me feel so good," Sophie told him truthfully, her voice desperate.

"Then why do you want to stop?" Chase asked her.

"You're gonna hate me for what I'm about to say…" Sophie began.

"I could never hate you," he told her.

"We need to talk… before we go any further," Sophie said, still trying to fight her feelings of desire.

Chase nodded and exhaled hard.

"Ok," he agreed.

"You're not angry?" she asked sadly.

"Of course not, baby" he replied, still breathing heavily.

Sophie felt her heart ache with love, passion and confusion all at once.

"My flight comes in at 4. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" she told him.

"Have a safe flight, baby," Chase told her as his erection began to shrink painfully.

"G' night," Sophie said before hanging up.  
***********************************************************

A little later that night, House opened the door to Cuddy's place with the key that she had given him.

He had been at the hospital working late on a case when he finally decided that watching TV on Cuddy's couch with a glass of scotch in one hand and her supple, firm breast in the other sounded a whole lot better than spending a late night with his team.

As he opened the door, he expected Cuddy to be sitting on the couch waiting for him, but she wasn't.

He shrugged off his leather jacket and tossed it on a nearby chair and went to look for her.

When he saw that she wasn't in the kitchen, he began to get suspicious.

"Lisa?" he called out.

"In here," Cuddy replied in a wary, small voice from the bathroom.

Feeling immediate anxiety at the sound of her voice, House limped over to the bathroom as quickly as he could, a few horrible scenarios at how he'd find her in there flashing through his mind.

But as he opened the door and found her sitting on the edge of her porcelain bathtub, her elbows leaning on her knees, he was quite surprised.

"What's going on?" House asked her.

She looked up at him miserably.

She then got up and took a few steps towards the sink, taking a white, plastic ept stick off the vanity.

"Nothing, apparently," she replied flatly.

House glanced at the negative home pregnancy test that she had given him and breathed a sigh of relief.

"All right. It's negative. So what? We'll try again," House told her.

"We've _BEEN_ trying," Cuddy stated in exasperation.

"You're forty years old. You're not gonna hit the first pitch that comes to you out of the park," House reminded her.

"I'm thirty eight and thanks for insulting me through a sports metaphor," Cuddy muttered.

House rolled his eyes and sat down on the tub next to her slowly, his leg and his back aching in protest.

"You saw the test results. There's no medical reason why we can't have a kid," House said to her.

"Well then maybe there's another reason," Cuddy said.

House arched his eyebrow at her quizzically, having no idea what she meant.

"Maybe it's just not meant to be," Cuddy mumbled sadly, resting her elbow on her leg as she leaned heavily on her palm.

At this, House furrowed his brow.

"You _DID_ go to medical school, right?" House asked her.

"I tried implantation and it didn't work, we've been having sex on a schedule and that's not working either—" Cuddy began in frustration.

"Why are you so impatient all of a sudden?" House interrupted her.

Cuddy met his glance for a moment, and then looked down at her bathroom tile.

"I… got dizzy yesterday," she admitted.

"When?" House demanded, not liking that she hadn't told him of this fact.

"After you handed out those stupid memo's about Wilson's..." Cuddy said, waving her hand in annoyance.

"…problem," she finished.

"If I recall, the stupid memos were YOUR idea," House said.

"_THIS ISN'T ABOUT THE MEMOS_!" Cuddy said, almost shouting.

"I thought the dizziness meant I was pregnant, and I waited an extra day to take the ept, just to be sure," Cuddy explained to him.

"Have you been taking your ferro- sequels?" House asked her, remaining calm, staring at her.

Cuddy looked back down at the floor.

"… I've… missed a couple of days," Cuddy admitted reluctantly. "But that wouldn't explain the dizziness," she added.

"But it might," House countered.

Cuddy exhaled in defeat.

"…So might hormonal changes," she said reluctantly, not really wanting to consider the possibility that she might be running out of time to conceive.

"Maybe you took the ept too early. Maybe you ARE pregnant and the ept isn't sensitive enough to register it yet," House suggested.

"You think the test is lying?" Cuddy asked.

"It's been known to happen," House replied.

House then chucked the ept stick he was still holding across the room and into the small, off- white trash can next to the toilet.

"So now what?" Cuddy asked.

"We do what every teenage couple would do. We wait until you miss a period, THEN we test," House replied.

"Some teenage couple. My cycle is erratic, I'm on iron pills, and you're throwing your back out during sex," Cuddy muttered.

"Yeah, but we look cool," House said with a smirk.

Cuddy laughed as she leaned her head against his shoulder. They sat there on the edge of the tub in silence for a few moments.

"Feel like sitting on the couch with me while I have a drink and feel you up?" House asked.

Cuddy shrugged with a lopsided smile.

"Why not?" she replied.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

That same evening, Cameron and Stern were still at the Italian bistro on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, enjoying mesculun salads and wine. They were seated at an intimate table, across from each other. A tiny, cylindrical candle floating in a shallow glass illuminated the space between them.

"So what happened between you and House that caused you to resign from his team?" Sebastian asked her.

"Why do you assume something happened?" Cameron asked, her lips forming a smile.

"Well, you wouldn't come to Africa with me because of him, so…" Sebastian said, trailing off in a coy manner.

Cameron laughed. "It wasn't because of him," she argued with a smile.

"The last time I saw you, I asked you if you liked working for House and if you found it satisfying. You never answered me, so I took that as a 'yes,'" Sebastian told her.

Cameron's lips parted slightly in surprise.

"You remembered what I said?" she asked him.

Sebastian nodded, gazing at her thoughtfully.

She inhaled, realizing that she had to tell him the truth.

Sebastian kept his contemplative gaze on her, saying nothing.

"I resigned because I felt that I learned all I could from House… and that it was time for me to move on," she told him.  "So what did you move on to?" Sebastian asked her in a gentle tone.

"Department Head of the ER, then Head of Diagnostics at NYU—" Cameron began.

"And?" Sebastian interrupted her suggestively, arching his eyebrow.

"…I was with Chase for a while," she admitted, realizing what he really wanted to know.

"How did that turn out?" Sebastian asked her.

"We're still close," she replied.

"But you're not together," Sebastian clarified.

"No," Cameron said with a tiny laugh.

Sebastian smiled and ate a bite of his salad.

"How about you? Anyone special in your life?" Cameron asked him.

"My patients," Sebastian said as he chewed politely.

"And…" Cameron said suggestively, matching his earlier tone.

"I was seeing someone… but it didn't take," Sebastian admitted.

Cameron nodded. She took a sip of her wine and then placed it back on the table.

She couldn't get over how comfortable she felt talking to him, despite the fact that they barely knew each other and that he had been her patient years ago.

At that moment, Cameron figured she had nothing to lose by opening up to him.

She leaned forward slightly across the table, resting her arms on the table top.

"Was it true when you said to me when you meet the people in Africa suffering from TB that it changes you?" Cameron asked him.

"Absolutely. Why?" Sebastian asked her.

Cameron didn't answer him, trying to organize her thoughts in her mind.

"Is there something you want to change about yourself?" Sebastian asked her gently.

"No, it's just…" Cameron began, pausing before continuing.

"…Sometimes I feel that despite the changes I've made in my life that NOTHING has changed. That I'm still stuck in the same routine," Cameron admitted.

Sebastian kept his soft gaze on her, nodding in understanding.

"…That I keep making the same mistakes," she continued, her voice taking on a hint of sadness, catching his gaze.

"I'm sorry that I'm unburdening myself on you like this—" she said suddenly, chuckling in slight embarrassment.

"No, it's fine," Sebastian reassured her.

"And you _HAVE_ changed," he added.

"Why do you say that?" she asked him.

"Because the woman I met three years ago would never have let her guard down to me like you are now," Sebastian told her.

As they looked across each other at the table, the candelight illuminating their features, Cameron's cell phone suddenly rang in her small clutch purse, breaking the lovely mood of the moment between them.

"I'm sorry," she said as he quickly dug her phone out of her purse.

Cameron saw the Caller ID, which said "**NEIL STERN**."

She immediately put the phone on vibrate and let it go to voicemail, shoving it back down in her purse.

"Who was that?" Sebastian asked her.

"Nobody," Cameron reassured him firmly.

TBC…


	69. Chapter 67

**HI EVERYONE!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

**************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 67: Please read and comment.**

**SATURDAY MORNING:**

At around 8 AM, in the spare bedroom of Cameron's apartment, the sound of Chase's cell phone ring tone stirred him from a deep sleep. He reluctantly rolled towards the night- stand and clumsily reached for his phone.

"Mmph," Chase mumbled into the phone.

"Good morning," Sophie said in a soft, gentle voice on the other end.

His eyes still closed, Chase smiled happily upon hearing her sweet voice. He rolled over on his back, enjoying the way the sheets felt against his bare skin.

"Good morning to _you_. This is a nice surprise," Chase said lazily, his accent slightly thicker upon waking up.

"…I'm sorry about last night," Sophie said after a moment's pause.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about," Chase told her, glancing down at his ankle, which was still elevated on the pillow he had propped it on from the night before.

"I… kinda left you hanging," Sophie said sheepishly.

Chase hesitated after remembering their sexy conversation last night, and how she stopped him before things could really get passionate between them.

"…I took care of it," he said quickly.

Sophie laughed out loud, understanding exactly what he meant.

"Well, that's good to hear," she said, still chuckling.

Chase laughed along with her. "Is anyone picking you up at the airport?" he asked her.

"Jimmy is," she replied. "I'll call you when I land."

"Have a good flight, baby," Chase told her.

"Thank you," she said softly, the butterflies flitting around in her stomach upon hearing what he called her.

As Chase hung up with a smile on his face, Cameron, who was already dressed in jeans and a fitted red t- shirt and sneakers, peeked her head into the spare bedroom.

"Was that Sophie?" Cameron asked.

"Yep," Chase replied with a grin, stretching his body out on the bed like a cat.

"What time does she get in?" Cameron asked him.

"Four," Chase replied, his mouth gaping open in a yawn.

"So what are your plans for tonight?" Cameron said, leaning against the door frame.

"Mmm… something romantic," Chase said vaguely with a grin.

"That doesn't surprise me," Cameron told him, smirking.

"And I need your help," Chase added.

Cameron arched her eyebrow.

"Ok… that _DOES_ surprise me," she said.

"How was your date, by the way?" Chase asked her, skillfully changing the subject. "You didn't get in until late."

"Keeping tabs on me?" Cameron teased. "I thought you knew that I already had a big brother."

"Well, you never told me the sordid details of your one date with House, so I figured that you owe me," Chase said, waggling his eyebrows.

"Just get up and get dressed so we can get on the road," Cameron said with an eyeroll.

"Yes, ma'am," Chase said dutifully.

Cameron chuckled , disappeared from Chase's view and headed towards the kitchen.

With that, Chase pushed himself up to an upright sitting position on the bed.

As he did, his ankle throbbed as a reminder.

He then reached over to the night- stand once more, grabbing the bottle of Ultram, the non- opioid pain medication that Dr. Eng prescribed to him.

He exhaled, opened the bottle and swallowed the first pill in the bottle, praying that the pain receptors in his brain were stupid enough to be tricked by his new Vicodin substitute. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Around two hours later, Wilson was already into his second cup of coffee at Debbie's kitchen table and reading _The New York Times_ when his cell phone rang on the table.

He was shocked to see "HOUSE" on the caller ID. He blinked twice to make sure he was reading correctly before opening the phone.

"You're up already?" Wilson asked him over the phone in surprise.

"You got any definite plans tonight other than humping your girl sober?" House asked him, sitting at Cuddy's kitchen table, hunched over his own red ceramic mug full of black coffee.

Wilson closed his eyes and exhaled in slight exasperation.

"I'm picking up Sophie from the airport at four, but after that… nothing written in stone… why?" Wilson asked.

"I feel like going bowling," House announced.

"So go," Wilson said with a grimace.

"You _KNOW_ that bowling is one of two things that guys don't do by themselves," House reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah I know. Other hand. Take Cuddy if you don't want to go alone," Wilson told him.

"… You… mean like a _DATE_?" House asked mockingly, as if the notion was ludicrous.

"Considering you're planning on fathering her child, that's not such an odd suggestion," Wilson replied.

House tensed at Wilson of fathering Cuddy's child, remembering how discouraged she was last night when he found her in the bathroom, miserable because she got a negative response on a home pregnancy test.

Just then, Cuddy padded into the kitchen, wearing a white terry cloth robe and a pair of socks.

She took a large, green ceramic mug off the drying rack on the kitchen counter, poured herself a cup of coffee from the pot, and left the room, heading back to the bedroom without saying a word.

House watched her leave with a concerned look on his face.

"The… _patient_… isn't making much progress," House said tentatively into the phone once Cuddy left.

"Ooh, codes. I'm so glad I get to be on the other end this time around," Wilson said sarcastically.

"… And… the _patient_ is starting to lose hope," House added in a more serious tone.

Wilson paused, inhaling slightly as he processed this information. He let the breath out, knowing that House was asking for his help and that Cuddy must have been feeling discouraged and possibly depressed.

"House, take her out tonight. It doesn't matter where you go. Just get her out of the house so she doesn't have to dwell on not being pregnant," Wilson advised him.

"Feel like double dating? It's Rock N' Bowl tonight," House asked him.

Wilson couldn't help but smile at House's sudden feeling of helplessness.

"I'll find my shoes," Wilson told him. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

**SATURDAY, 4 PM, PRINCETON AIRPORT.**

"So what time are we going bowling tonight?" Debbie asked Wilson as she stood next to him as Wilson scanned the throngs of passengers that were walking towards their general direction, looking for Sophie.

"Around eight," Wilson replied as he continued to look for his younger sister.

"Should be fun," Debbie said with a shrug.

Wilson glanced at her in surprise, taking his eyes off the crowd.

"You're _SERIOUS_?" Wilson asked her.

"Well bowl, have a few laughs, and a few beers. What's not to like?" she asked him.

"How about having to spend an evening with House?" Wilson reminded her.

"It's ok. Lisa'll be there," Debbie replied with a smirk.

Just then, Wilson spotted Sophie walking towards him with her overnight bag slung over her shoulder. He immediately raised his arm and waved to her to get her attention. Sophie saw him right away and waved back with an enthusiastic smile.

But as she did, Wilson dropped his arm, his lips parting slightly as she got closer to them.

She was wearing a pair of low- rise dark jeans, a pink v- neck t- shirt and a pair of black Converse All- Stars with white laces.

While the clothing she was wearing wasn't much different than how she usually dressed, Wilson was shocked to see how loose the t- shirt was on her torso and how her face had slimmed out considerably since he had seen her last week

"Hi, sweetie. How was you flight?" Debbie asked as she kissed her cheek.

"Very good, thank you," Sophie replied.

Sophie then went to hug Wilson, but he placed his hands on his hips, his facial expression demanding an explanation.

"I can't get a hug from my brother?" Sophie asked with a puzzled look.

"How much weight did you lose?" Wilson demanded.

Sophie tsked, rolling her eyes skyward. "Jimmy…" she began in exasperation.

"Just tell me," he pressed her.

"I don't know. …Ten pounds, I guess," Sophie mumbled with a shrug.

"_YOU LOST TEN POUNDS IN ONE WEEK?!_" Wilson exclaimed, his eyes nearly bugging out.

"I've been incredibly busy! I had that presentation!" Sophie argued back defensively.

"James, leave her alone. She looks great," Debbie admonished Wilson.

"Ask her the _REAL_ reason why she lost so much weight so fast," Wilson said in an accusatory fashion, jutting his chin out at his sister.

"Do we have to discuss this in the middle of an airport terminal?" Sophie asked him, hoping he'd drop the subject.

"She's been upset about Chase, so she stopped eating," Wilson said in disgust.

"I'm eating, ok?" Sophie shot back angrily.

"Look, Sophie's right. The entire airport doesn't need to hear this," Debbie said, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that Wilson and Sophie's conversation was starting to earn stares from the other people walking by them.

Sophie and Wilson continued to glare at each other, neither of them saying a word.

"Do you have any other luggage?" Debbie asked Sophie, turning away from Wilson.

"Yeah, I checked another bag," Sophie replied, grateful that Debbie was trying to diffuse the situation.

"All right, then let's go get it," Debbie said.

Wilson shook his head in disappointment at Sophie as the two women started walking towards baggage claim. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Around five minutes later, Wilson was waiting by the baggage carousel conveyor belt, vigilantly waiting for Sophie's other bag to show up.

Debbie and Sophie were standing a bit further back from him so they could talk without Wilson listening to their conversation.  

"Jimmy doesn't understand," Sophie said sadly, looking down at the scuffed linoleum beneath her feet.

"Of course not. He's a man. I'd probably stop eating if your brother and I broke up, too," Debbie replied.

Sophie chuckled and looked at Debbie thoughtfully.

"Can I ask you something?" Sophie asked her.

"Sure," Debbie replied with a smile and light shrug of her shoulder.

"How did you feel about my brother when you first met him?" Sophie asked her.

Debbie raised her eyebrows ever so slightly.

"…Truthfully?" she asked Sophie.

"Mmm hmm," Sophie replied.

"…Truthfully… I had absolutely no interest in going out with him," Debbie admitted.

Sophie laughed out loud. "You didn't?" she asked with a grin on her face.

"Yeah," she replied sheepishly.

"…He'd pop into my office at least twice a week, just to say 'hi,'… or to see if I wanted to get a cup of coffee or lunch with him… and every time I turned him down," Debbie told her.

"Why'd you turn him down?" Sophie asked her curiously.

"Trust me when I tell you that there's no secrets at Princeton Plainsboro," Debbie replied.

Sophie nodded, understanding that Debbie meant that the entire hospital most likely knew of her brother's three divorces, his less than faithful ways, and his reputation of both a shoulder to cry on and a womanizer.

"Then he met Amber… and… he stopped coming," Debbie continued with a noticeable hint of sadness in her voice as she looked off into the crowd of people waiting for their bags at the baggage carousel.

Sophie's smile disappeared at the mention of Amber, remembering how hard it was for her brother to get over her loss.

"And… I realized I missed him popping into my office," Debbie said.

"But then Amber died… and… I knew he wouldn't be in the right frame of mind to be with anyone… so I offered my condolences and left it at that," Debbie added.

"And then… after a long while, he started popping into my office again…" Debbie said, smiling once more.

Sophie smiled, knowing that it was her who convinced Wilson to finally ask Debbie out after years of wanting to do so.

"And I was thrilled to see him… and one thing led to another…" Debbie continued, her smile widening as her heart warmed for the man she loved.

She then turned back to Sophie, her smile becoming thoughtful.

"Sometimes you don't realize how you feel about someone right away, you know?" Debbie asked her.

At that moment, Sophie realized how significant Debbie's statement was to her own situation with Chase.

And that maybe she had been wrong about Chase's feelings for her.

Maybe he did really love her after all.

"…Yeah, I think so," Sophie said with a soft smile.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At around 6 pm that evening, Cameron and Chase were in Chase's apartment in Princeton.

They had spent most of the day getting Chase's place ready for Sophie's visit.

His apartment was cleaned and vacuumed. There was a white linen tablecloth on Chase's dining room table, which he rarely used. In the center of the table was a large, crystal vase with long- stemmed white gladiolus arranged with honeysuckle blossoms, Sophie's two favorite flowers.

The table was already set with antique white China that Cameron had purchased for him at _Crate & Barrel_ in Manhattan that morning. She had just taken them out of the dishwasher and placed them on the table, along with new flatware and wine glasses.

In addition, Cameron had placed several unlit votive scented candles around the room and two long unlit candles in elegant candle- holders on the table.

"So are you going to Africa with Sebastian?" Chase asked her from his position on the couch. His ankle was elevated on the coffee table in front of him, resting on a pillow.

"He never asked," Cameron replied, scrutinizing the table to see if she liked how she arranged things.

"But you're gonna see him again," Chase prodded.

"Tonight for drinks and dessert," Cameron replied.

"Wow. Two dates in forty- eight hours?" Chase asked with extreme interest.

"You always said he moved fast," Cameron quipped.

"…And you're ok with that?" Chase asked her with concern.

Cameron turned around to face him, noticing Chase's expression. She then pulled out one of the dining room chairs from the table and sat down.

"It just felt so natural to be with him. We talked for hours about so many things," Cameron replied happily.

"So he came back to your place after dinner," Chase clarified.

"Just for a drink," Cameron replied with a dismissive shrug.

Chase kept his eye on her, raising his eyebrow in disbelief.

"We kissed good- night, ok?" Cameron sighed in annoyance.

Chase grinned. "The table looks beautiful, by the way," he said, satisfied with her answer.

"What about entertainment?" Cameron asked him, relieved that he stopped grilling her.

"Got two Hitchcock movies—_The Birds_, and _Psycho_," Chase replied proudly.

"Not exactly romantic choices," Cameron said, scrunching her face up.

"To Sophie it is. She _LOVES_ old horror flicks," Chase replied with a grin.

"You're good," Cameron admitted.

"So I've been told," Chase said, popping his eyebrows.

Just then, Chase realized that his forehead was wet.

He furrowed his brow as he touched his forehead, wiping a considerable amount of sweat off his brow.

He then raked his hand through the back of his hair.

His neck and hair were damp with sweat as well.

"You ok?" Cameron asked with concern.

Chase glanced at his wet palm and then wiped it brusquely on his jeans.

"…I'm fine," Chase said dismissively.

TBC…


	70. Chapter 68

**HI EVERYONE!**

**I'M SORRY I DIDN'T POST LAST NIGHT. I HAD A WICKED HEADACHE THAT DIDN'T LET UP UNTIL THIS MORNING.**

**BUT I'M ALL BETTER NOW.**

**THANKS FOR READING AND FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL COMMENTS AND ESPECIALLY YOUR PATIENCE!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

************************************************************* **

**CHAPTER 68: Please read and comment.**

At around 8 pm, Chase heard two knocks at his door.

He felt his heart leap into his throat at the sound.

He took a furtive glance at the dining room table to make sure everything was ready as he carefully took his leg off the pillow it was resting on and pushed himself off the couch. He smoothed out his soft, linen white button down t- shirt and adjusted his jeans.

Using his crutches, he hobbled to the front door and opened it.

As expected, Sophie was standing on the other side of the door.

"Hi," Sophie said to him with a soft, gentle smile.

His lips parted ever so slightly, immediately noticing how her face had slimmed out since he saw her last weekend.

Sophie's smile fell a bit, realizing that he must have been shocked at her appearance.

"Hi," he said quickly, suddenly aware of the way he was staring at her. "How was your flight?" he asked.

"Very good, thank you," she replied with the same smile.

He continued to stare at her, trying to calculate how much weight she had lost in seven days based solely on her face, for she was wearing a black jacket that covered her upper body.

"… Can I come in?" she asked, her eyebrows arching slightly.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Of course you can," Chase said with embarrassment as he maneuvered himself back into his foyer to let Sophie in.

Sophie entered the foyer of his apartment and took off her jacket, draping it over her arm. She was wearing a black halter- top with lacy straps and an empire waist. The top came down to her hips and complemented her dark skinny boot cut jeans. A pair of peep- toe black heels completed her look.

Chase noted that the halter- top accented Sophie's figure quite nicely, but he could tell that despite the flowing fabric that covered her midsection that she had lost a considerable amount of weight. Her breasts were smaller and her collarbones were more visible.

But he said nothing about it.

"Are you hungry?" he said instead. "I ordered from Tre Piani."

"I love Tre Piani," Sophie replied, her smile returning. "Their pumpkin ravioli is my favorite."

"I know," he said, smiling warmly back at her.

He then led her into the dining room as best he could on his crutches.

Sophie stopped in her tracks and gasped when she saw the dining room.

The lights were dimmed and two long, elegant candles in candle- holders were lit on the table, which was covered in a sumptuous white, linen tablecloth. The table was set with what looked like brand new China, already plated with a baby green salad topped with fresh tomato and mozzarella drizzled with olive oil.

He had already poured the wine for them into the glasses, and the table was complete with a beautiful arrangement of white long- stemmed gladiolus and honeysuckle blossoms.

"What's all this?" she whispered, turning back to him in shock as he moved his way closer to her.

He leaned on his crutches and gazed deeply into her eyes in a way that made her blush.

"I thought it was time we had a candlelight dinner," he replied softly.

"…T-the flowers are beautiful," Sophie stammered, never breaking her gaze with his.

"I'm glad you like them," he said.

Sophie's heart was hammering in her chest. She could feel her breath becoming shallow.

She wanted so desperately for him to just lean a little bit closer to her and kiss her and just become lost in his lips and his arms.

But instead, she fought the urges that were growing inside her, forced herself to calm down and allowed him to lead her to her seat at the table. 

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At around the same time, Cuddy narrowed her eyes as she honed in at the ten pins set up at the end of the alley.

She was holding a marble green 8 pound house ball in what she hoped was the right position as she bounced her hip in time to "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani that was playing over the sound system in Princeton Lanes.

House watched her supple ass, which was perfectly framed by her hip hugging jeans, with great interest as she bopped to the music, his eyebrow raising slightly in time with the bulge in his pants.

**_"YOU HELD ME DOWN, I'M AT MY LOWEST BOILING POINT _**

**_COME HELP ME OUT, I NEED TO GET ME OUT OF THIS JOINT _**

**_COME ON LET'S BOUNCE, COUNTING ON YOU TO TURN ME AROUND _**

**_INSTEAD OF CLOWING AROUND, LET'S LOOK FOR SOME COMMON GROUND."_**

"So are you gonna dance or are you gonna bowl?" House snarked from his position on one of the seats behind her in their lane.

"You know you like it," Cuddy replied sassily, not bothering to turn around as she continued to wiggle her hips in time with the music.

She then walked the few steps towards the line at the front of the lane, released the green bowling ball in her hand, which quickly drifted into the gutter.

"Oh poop," Cuddy pouted.

"Should I have them put up the bumpers for you?" House quipped with a grin.

"You be quiet," Cuddy scolded him in a sexy tone.

House then pushed himself off the plastic seat and limped towards her, leaving his cane behind. He picked up her ball from the ball return.

"Let me show you something," House told her, motioning with his head to follow him back to the starting line of the lane.

He then stood close behind her, wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands over hers while she held the ball in her own hands.

He pressed his now half- hard erection against the back of her jeans.

"Too much axis tilt," he whispered gruffly into her ear.

"What?" Cuddy asked, not understanding what he meant.

He nuzzled his nose in her hair and gently brushed her lips against the shell of her ear. Cuddy felt a incredibly thrilling shudder pass through her at his lips on her skin and the feeling of his his hard ridge pressed against her taut behind.

"Don't release until your thumb is at the bottom of the ball," he told her in a low voice.

"You must say that to all the girls," Cuddy teased in a throaty alto.

"I never realized how one cheap, domestic beer could loosen you up," House commented.

"And I didn't even finish it," she replied, grinning at him.

"Shoot the ball before I rip your clothes off and take you right here in this bowling alley," House whispered into her ear.

Cuddy giggled and took her shot, trying her best to follow House's bowling tip in her slightly inebriated state.

They both watched the ball after her release, which rolled down the aisle with very little spin and squarely hit the head pin, knocking all of them down in the process.

Cuddy gasped with glee. "Did you see that?!" she exclaimed.

House waggled his eyebrows.

"No axis tilt," he said simply.

"And where did you learn so much about throwing strikes?" she said to him coyly.

"I know a guy," he said with a shrug, refusing to tell her that it was Chase who had given him that bowling tip a year ago.

Incredibly proud of herself, Cuddy placed her hands on the back pockets of her jeans and began to sway her hips seductively to the music in the middle of the crowded bowling alley and sing to the lyrics.

**_"IF I COULD ESCAPE AND RECREATE A PLACE THAT'S MY OWN WORLD _**

**_AND I COULD BE YOUR FAVORITE GIRL FOREVER _**

**_PERFECTLY TOGETHER AND TELL ME BOY NOW WOULDN'T THAT BE SWEET? _**

**_IF I COULD BE SWEET, SORRY BOY I KNOW I'VE BEEN A REAL BAD GIRL, I'LL TRY TO CHANGE _**

**_I DIDN'T MEAN FOR YOU TO GET HURT WHATSOEVER _**

**_WE CAN MAKE IT BETTER AND TELL ME BOY NOW WOULDN'T THAT BE SWEET?"_**

House stood in front of her, his bright blue eyes roaming wantonly over her figure, accented by an eye- catching lacy red tank top and her jeans.

"I never realized how much fun going bowling is," Cuddy replied, playfully walking her fingers up the buttons his black on black graphic button downed short- sleeved shirt.

"Wait until Wilson and Debbie come back with the really greasy onion rings and mozzarella sticks I sent them to get for us," House replied.

"Mmm… can't wait," Cuddy murmured.

She then tugged on his shirt slightly, pulling him closer into a passionate kiss, their tongues dancing with each other's.

"You know, there's children here tonight," House scolded her mockingly against her lips as he reveled in the taste of beer and something uniquely just her.

She swatted his chest playfully and walked past him, taking one of the seats they were occupying.

Just then, Wilson and Debbie returned to their lane, both of them carrying trays of onion rings, mozzarella sticks, and four more bottles of beer, two Coors and two Coors- Light.

"So what are you two doing here?" Cuddy asked the two of them as she took the final swig of her first beer.

"…We were getting the food," Wilson said, slightly confused as he and Debbie set the trays of food down at a nearby small table.

"No, I mean here _TONIGHT_," Cuddy clarified.

"House invited us," Debbie replied, her lower lip turned down, just as confused as Wilson.

"Because he knew that he couldn't deal with me on his own while I wallow in my misery," Cuddy stated.

Wilson and Debbie exchanged nervous and slightly embarrassed glances at her statement. House merely smirked at her observation and at how uncomfortable Wilson and Debbie seemed to be from it.

"House was concerned about you…" Debbie began.

"And… he didn't know how to deal with you alone," Wilson finished for her, knowing that Cuddy would see through Debbie's diplomatic approach.

"Well, I'm glad you and Debbie came with us," Cuddy said, popping an onion ring into her mouth. "We should do this more often," she added.

"What, go bowling or go out on dates?" House said, reaching past her to grab two mozzarella sticks.  "Both," Cuddy replied.

"And why _DON'T_ we go out on dates more often?" Cuddy asked after a thoughtful pause.

"Because we've been spending all our free time trying to get pregnant," House replied, taking a swig of his beer.

Suddenly, Cuddy's face bore a look of realization.

"You're _right_," she said.

House stopped drinking his beer in mid sip as he looked at her, the bottle still on his lips.

"Ever since we've been together, we've been trying to have a baby instead of just enjoying being with each other," Cuddy said.

House swallowed his beer and placed it on the table, having no idea how to respond.

"Well from now on, that's going to change," Cuddy stated firmly as she grabbed the new bottle of Coors Light off the tray and took a swig from it.  

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A while later, Chase and Sophie were still eating the dinner that Chase had ordered from Tre Piani in his apartment.

They had eaten most of their meal in silence, occasionally making small talk about Chase's surgery and how school was going for Sophie as they both tried to avoid the thick tension between them at the table.

Sophie could swear that Chase could hear her heart pounding.

Chase was almost done with his rigatoni with filet mignon tips and Gorgonzola while Sophie had only eaten half of the pumpkin ravioli with brown butter, sage and parmigiano that Chase had ordered for her.

Chase took another sip of the Pinot Grigot out of his glass as he watched how slow Sophie was eating and the small bites she was taking of her meal.

"Do you not like the ravoli?" he asked her carefully as he placed his wine glass down on the table.

"No, it's delicious," she replied in between demure bites.

Chase nodded, keeping his eyes on her for a bit longer before looking back down at his meal.

"So, did you start the Ultram today?" Sophie asked him.

"Yep, I taken three so far," Chase replied.

"And how's it going so far?" Sophie asked him.

"I was sweating a little earlier… but that's about it," Chase said with a shrug.

"That's probably a side effect of the new meds, right?" Sophie asked.

"Probably," Chase agreed.

"Are you wearing the Lidoderm patch on your ankle, too?" Sophie asked.

"Not yet. I want to see how the pills work alone first," Chase told her.

Sophie placed her hand on top of Chase's on the table, rubbing his hand affectionately.

"I'm really proud of you," she told him sincerely.

Chase could feel his heart swell at the feeling of her hand on his.

He then closed his fingers around hers and brought her hand up to his lips, kissing her skin softly.

"You got your nails done," Chase murmured against her skin.

"Yeah, this morning," Sophie replied, feeling her heart flutter.

He kissed her hand again, admiring the light pink lacquer on her nails.

"They look nice," he told her.

"Thank you," she said almost shyly.

Still holding her hand, he placed both their hands onto the table top and gazed at her meaningfully.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Chase began.

"Not at all," she replied.

Chase paused. "… How much weight did you lose?" Chase asked her gently.

"…A few pounds," Sophie replied with a tiny shrug of her shoulder.

Chase nodded slowly, not believing her for a moment.

"I've been busy. I had that presentation, and the end of the term is coming, so I'm stressed. You know how that goes," Sophie explained, hoping he would believe her.

"…Are you sure that's it?" Chase asked her, keeping the same gentle tone in his voice.

Sophie nodded, not sure how much longer she could hide the truth from him.

Chase smiled at her sweetly and leaned in closer to her, taking both her hands in his.

"Sophie, you look beautiful. You _ALWAYS_ look beautiful…" he began sincerely.

"…But it really looks like you lost more than just a few pounds," Chase said.

Sophie looked away from him, but Chase touched her chin to make her look at him again.

"…And… I think that if we're going to really talk that we need to be honest with each other," Chase added.

Sophie inhaled slightly and nodded, knowing that he was right.

"I lost ten pounds," she confessed.

"In one week?" he asked.

"…I didn't do anything drastic…I just haven't been hungry, that's all," she said with another tiny shrug.

"Is that because of me?" he asked her.

"I didn't really want to make a big deal about it," Sophie replied, shaking her head slightly.

"And I didn't want to hurt you so much that you stopped eating," Chase told her, his voice apologetic.  

"It's not your fault," Sophie told him.

"Yes it is, because everything you said was true," Chase said to her.

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

Chase took a deep breath and let it out, hoping that what he was about to tell her—something that he had been preparing all day—wouldn't break her heart once more.

"I didn't get goosebumps when I first met you," Chase confessed.

"The hairs on the back of my neck didn't stand up… I didn't get that queasy but good feeling in my stomach…" Chase continued as Sophie continued to stare at him.

"I thought you were just another pretty girl," he told her sadly.

Sophie nodded slowly, pressing her lips together tightly as she took in everything that Chase had just said. She blinked once, fighting the tears that were starting to well up in her eyes as a horrible ache surged through her.

"But then I got to know you," Chase added in a loving voice, his eyes reflecting the intense emotions he was feeling inside.

Suddenly, the tears that were threatening to escape Sophie's eyes and roll down her cheeks disappeared.

"Remember when we went to Cheers Pub when I was in Boston for that conference?" Chase asked her.

"Sure I do. We played that game where we asked each other questions," Sophie replied as the wonderful memories of their few days together came back to her.

"And then we went to the Granary Cemetery, and I teased you because you'd lived in Boston for so long but you'd never been there?" Chase asked.

Sophie smiled. "I remember," she said.

"Well that day was the most fun I'd had in a long time," Chase told her.

He then managed to move his chair closer to hers. He cupped her lovely face in both of his hands and stroked her cheeks delicately with his thumbs.

"And remember I walked you back to your place… and I kissed you outside your door?" Chase asked tenderly.

Sophie nodded, her breath catching in her throat at the way his gorgeous blue- green eyes were sparkling.  

"When I felt your soft, gentle lips on mine… I knew right then and there that you were more than just another pretty girl," Chase said, feeling a lump in his throat as he spoke.

"You were _SPECIAL_," Chase said insistently.

"When I kissed you… it was like I was _home_," he said.

"And to me, that means a _LOT_ more than goosebumps," he finally finished.

Sophie could feel her heart doing flip- flops inside her. The tears started to well up in her eyes again.

But the smile on her face showed Chase that they were tears of joy.

"Me too," she confessed, her entire face smiling.

With that, Chase pulled her close to him and kissed her tenderly, with all the passion and love he felt for her. Sophie whimpered against his mouth as his lips brushed hers over and over, his tongue lightly tracing hers.

Never breaking their kiss, Chase pulled her onto his lap as she straddled him, careful not to brush up against his ankle. She pressed her body against his as they wrapped their arms around each other.

When they finally broke off their kiss to come up for air, Chase wiped away the tears off Sophie's cheeks that did escape with his thumbs, causing Sophie to laugh.

"I didn't even know I was crying," she admitted.

Chase laughed at that.

"My kiss affected you that much?" he asked.

"It always does," she replied happily.

"You don't know how happy that makes me," he told her as he brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face.

"You should know that it wasn't the flowers and the candles that won me over," she told him.

"Did it help?" Chase asked with an impish smile.

"A little," she replied playfully.

"Now promise me you're gonna eat dessert," Chase told her.

"I promise," she said, biting her lower lip as she smiled, feeling her appetite return.

Suddenly Chase closed his eyes, backing up slightly away from her.

Sophie noticed that his face had become decidedly pale.

"Honey, are you ok?" she asked him with concern.

"… Don't… feel right," Chase said haltingly.

"Tell me what's wrong," Sophie asked him.

Chase scrunched up his face.

"… Nauseous…" he managed to say.

Sophie immediately began to get up off his lap to give him some room. Having the feeling that he wouldn't be able to make it to the bathroom in time on crutches, Sophie rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the plastic trash can.

But before she could make it back to the dining room, Chase was already doubled over, vomiting all over the hard wood floor.

TBC…


	71. Chapter 69

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING AND FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS!**

**UNFORTUNATELY, THERE'S NOT MUCH LEFT OF THIS FIC. :(**

**UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO EXTEND IT....**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I HAVE A FEW IDEAS IN MIND...**

**IN THE MEANTIME, HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 69: Please read and comment.**

Now promise me you're gonna eat dessert," Chase told her.

"I promise," she said, biting her lower lip as she smiled, feeling her appetite return.

Suddenly Chase closed his eyes, backing up slightly away from her.

Sophie noticed that his face had become decidedly pale.

"Honey, are you ok?" she asked him with concern.

"… Don't… feel right," Chase said haltingly.

"Tell me what's wrong," Sophie asked him.

Chase scrunched up his face.

"… Nauseous…" he managed to say.

Sophie immediately began to get up off his lap to give him some room. Having the feeling that he wouldn't be able to make it to the bathroom in time on crutches, Sophie rushed into the kitchen and grabbed the plastic trash can.

But before she could make it back to the dining room, Chase was already doubled over, vomiting all over the hard wood floor. 

-------------------------------------------------------------- 

A half- hour later, Chase was lying on the couch with his eyes closed and with a cold compress on his forehead.

Sophie had propped up his ankle on two pillows and had left the kitchen trashcan next to the couch for him.

While Chase was resting, Sophie mopped up the dining room floor while wearing a pair of yellow rubber gloves that she had found underneath Chase's sink.

"You cleaning up my vomit isn't exactly what I had planned for tonight," Chase said in a gruff voice from his position on the couch.

"Well I'm not gonna leave it on the floor," Sophie replied.

Chase sighed in exasperation.

"Sophie…" he began wearily.

"Just be quiet and lay there," she scolded him lightly as she continued to mop the floor.

After Sophie had finished cleaning the floor, she disposed of the mop head in a new trash bag that she had also found under Chase's sink.

"I'm just going to go in the hallway and throw this stuff in the compactor," she told him.

Chase nodded slowly, trying not to make himself more nauseous in the process.

After a few minutes, Sophie returned from the hallway outside Chase's apartment. She went back to the kitchen, washed her hands thoroughly and poured Chase a glass of Sprite and wet a new washcloth for him.

She then returned to the living room and knelt down next to the couch. She placed the Sprite on the coffee table, took the now lukewarm compress off his forehead and began to gently wash Chase's face with the new compress, making Chase exhale in relief.

"How's that feel?" Sophie asked him softly.

"So good," Chase breathed.

"Still nauseous?" she asked.

"Not really. Just a little uneasy," he replied.

"And you're not sweating, which means it's probably not withdrawal. Just a side effect of the meds," she said.

"Guess my pain receptors are stupid enough to fall for a pseudo- opiate after all," Chase remarked as he scooted over on the couch to make room for her to sit down.

"Would you rather have smarter pain receptors?" Sophie asked him with a smirk as she sat down on the couch next to him, her hip near his abdomen as he remained lying down on his back.

"No way," Chase asserted.

Sophie chuckled as she continued to cool down the skin on his face and neck with the compress. Chase weakly draped his arm over her thighs and began to lightly rub her leg.

"I ruined our evening," Chase said forlornly.

"Shut up. You did not," she told him.

Chase snorted as he gave her thigh a little squeeze.

"You gonna stay on the meds even though they're making you feel like this?" Sophie asked him.

"Hopefully my system'll get used to it," Chase said.

"… What if it doesn't?" she asked him, a little worry evident in her voice.

Chase opened his eyes. "Well, like you said. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it," he replied.

"You could always go back on the Tylenol 3 for a little longer—" Sophie suggested.

"No," Chase said in a gruff, yet firm voice.

"You're still healing from the surgery, which means that most likely a lot of the pain you might have isn't from the original injury," Sophie reminded him, hoping that he'd agree with her.

"And that also means that if I stay on the Codeine that much longer, it'll be that much harder to give it up, and the withdrawal will be that much worse once I do," Chase said with whatever energy he had.

"Then just take it for a few more days—" Sophie coaxed him gently.

Chase shook his head vehemently. "I _HAVE_ to do this," he stated.

"Why?" she asked with concern, grabbing his hand and bringing it onto her lap.

"Because I don't wanna go back to rehab…" Chase began.

He then averted his eyes downward towards their hands together.

"… And you gave up your addiction for me," Chase said carefully.

Sophie's grip on Chase's hand loosened a bit as her face morphed into a completely stunned expression.

How could Chase have possibly known that she was a poker addict?

"I figured you wouldn't have made a point of telling me that you were giving up cards for me if it was something that was easy for you to do," Chase told her, knowing exactly what thoughts were behind her expression.

Sophie immediately looked away from him, wishing Chase's floor would swallow her up. Chase pulled her back towards him by her hand to make her look at him.

"Hey, you have _NOTHING_ to be embarrassed about," Chase told her.

"Yeah, right," Sophie muttered, still not able to meet his eyes.

Chase then somehow managed to sit up on the couch a bit, leaning back on his elbows for support. He placed his hand back on her lap, forcing her to finally meet his gaze.

"I don't see you any differently and I don't think any less of you," Chase assured her with sincerity.

"I was _PROUD_ of you, Sophie," he told her.

Sophie finally looked at him and saw in his eyes that he meant it.

"And I want _you_ to continue to be proud of _me_," he added.

Sophie smiled, leaned forward and kissed Chase's forehead ever so gently. He closed his eyes at the touch of her soft lips on his skin.

"I'll _always_ be proud of you," she told him simply. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Some time later, at Princeton Lanes, House and Wilson were bowling their third game while Cuddy and Debbie decided to sit and rate the "doability" of each of the group of young guys playing in the lane next to them.

Debbie licked her upper lip slightly as she admired the ass of a particularly buff young man with closely cropped hair, wearing a pair of jeans that fit him incredibly well and a yellow t- shirt that showed off the curves in his biceps beautifully.

"So whaddya think?" Cuddy asked her, noticing how Debbie was practically drooling over him.

"Doable. Definitely," Debbie stated, not taking her eyes off the guy.

Cuddy giggled and wrote "yellow t- shirt guy" in the "yes" column of the chart she had fashioned on the napkin she had taken from the nearby concession stand.

"Ok, how about him?" Debbie asked, jutting her chin at another one of the guys in the group who was leaning over to take a bowling ball off the rack.

Cuddy's eyebrows raised a bit at the young, well- built man in her view. He had rather long, shaggy blond hair that covered the nape of his neck and came down a bit in his eyes. She noticed that when he turned towards her slightly that he had striking blue eyes and that his muscles were extremely well defined underneath his short sleeved cotton polo shirt.

"He's… cute," Cuddy said with hesitation.

"What are you talking about? He's _GORGEOUS_! He looks just like Chase!" Debbie stated.

At that, Cuddy's face immediately turned a very deep shade of red.

Upon seeing Cuddy's flush, Debbie's jaw dropped.

"It's true, isn't it?" Debbie demanded.

Cuddy's head turned sharply towards Debbie, still feeling the burn on her cheeks.

"You _DID_ sleep with Chase!" Debbie exclaimed.

For a moment, Cuddy had absolutely no idea how to respond. Debbie's mouth was still gaped open, waiting for an answer.

"… it was just one night…" Cuddy finally muttered, shaking her head a bit.

"Oh my _god_!" Debbie said enthusiastically, her open mouth quickly forming a huge grin.

"We were both drunk—" Cuddy continued.

"_OH MY GOD!!_" Debbie repeated even more enthusiastically, her grin becoming even wider.

Cuddy gave her a sidelong glance and finally laughed at the expression on Debbie's face. She took a swig of her second beer that she had still been nursing all this time to cool her down.

"How was it?" Debbie asked her in a conspiratorial tone, leaning closer to her.

Cuddy smirked and met Debbie's eager gaze.

"It was good," Cuddy replied, popping her eyebrows a bit.

Debbie gasped, still grinning.

"_REALLY_ good," Cuddy emphasized, thoroughly enjoying Debbie's reaction to what she was telling her.

"So who was better? House or Chase?" Debbie asked.

"That's not a fair question," Cuddy replied.

"And why not?" Debbie demanded.

"They're… different," Cuddy answered vaguely.

"Different? How so?" Debbie pressed her.

"My cane's bigger, and I don't have floppy hair or an annoying accent," House answered for her.

Debbie and Cuddy both spun around to see House standing behind them with an amused expression on his face.

Cuddy's face turned an even deeper shade of red.

"We both have bum legs, though," House added.

"House, it's still your turn. You get a chance to pick up the spare," Wilson called to him from the front of the aisle.

"Can't. I'm too busy eavesdropping on Debbie asking Lisa if I was better than Chase in bed," House called back to him.

At that, Wilson shot Debbie a shocked stare. His jaw nearly hit the floor.

"You weren't supposed to tell Cuddy that you knew about it!" Wilson told her.

"Then you shouldn't have told me about it in the first place," Debbie replied playfully.

Cuddy stared at Wilson with an arched eyebrow, her look demanding an explanation as to why Wilson told Debbie about her one night with Chase.

"I'm gonna be doing clinic duty for the rest of my life, aren't I?" Wilson sighed.

"To start," Cuddy said, desperately trying to keep the grin off her face.

Wilson lolled his head back in defeat.

"Great," he muttered.

"And then when you're done with that, you'll do his," Cuddy added, jutting her chin at House.

"Have I told you how much I love sleeping with the boss?" House said to Wilson.

"Everyday," Wilson breathed in exasperation.

House then sat down next to Cuddy and draped his arm around her shoulder.

"So who _WAS_ better? Me or Chase?" House asked her.

"Like I said. You were different," Cuddy replied with a coy shrug.

House raised his eyebrows. "Define '_different_,'" he said.

Cuddy rolled her eyes. "If I say that _YOU_ were better, then you won't believe me anyway. You'll just think that I'm only saying that because you're _ASKING_ me," Cuddy explained.

"And you'd be right," House replied.

"Who was better?" House asked again.

At this, Cuddy sexily placed her tongue between her teeth, her soft blue- grey eyes sparkling mischievously.

She was enjoying herself far too much to give House an answer.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Later that night, Sophie and Chase were still on Chase's couch.

Chase was now sitting up, his back against the couch cushions and his ankle propped up on the two pillows on the coffee table in front of him.

Sophie was slowly feeding Chase "Ben & Jerry's" chocolate ice cream from a pint that she had found in Chase's freezer off a teaspoon.

"You sure your stomach can handle this?" Sophie asked him.

"It's dairy. It'll coat my stomach," Chase replied as he wrapped his lips around the spoon and licked off the ice cream.

Sophie giggled and dug out some more for him. He eagerly took the next spoon and pulled her closer towards him.

As she continued to feed him the ice cream, Chase decided that now was the time to ask her something that he'd been wondering for quite some time.

"Why'd you really break up with Joey?" Chase asked her.

Sophie paused for a moment, meeting Chase's thoughtful gaze with her eyes.

She then handed Chase the carton of ice cream and the spoon and shifted her position on the couch to face him.

"We were in school together… we'd been together for about a year…" Sophie began.

"And by then, Joey was going to a lot more card games than classes…" she continued.

"We'd fight about it all the time. I told him he was ruining his life, he'd tell me that he could make more bank by going pro full time…" Sophie said.

"You didn't play with him?" Chase asked her.

"School always came first… but I'd work weekends with him," Sophie replied.

She then paused for a moment, knowing that the next part of the story wasn't going to be easy to tell him.

"And one night, Joey went to some game, and I went to the library to study for some test I had the next day…"

Chase nodded his head as he listened, taking another spoonful of ice cream.

"And when I came home… I found Joey fucking some other girl in my bed," Sophie said plainly.

Chase froze with the spoon still in his mouth, his eyes widening tremendously.

Sophie returned his shocked look with a tiny, flat smile.

"…What did you do?" Chase asked, stunned, ice cream still on his lips.

"I screamed… then I yelled at him… then I cried… and then I kicked them both out…" Sophie said.

"The next day, I threw out my bed and got a new one at Ikea…" she continued.

Chase couldn't help but laugh a bit. "I could see you doing that," he admitted.

"And a month later, I was studying abroad in Italy for a semester with the money I earned from the tables," she said.

"…And when I came back, I was broke," she explained.

Chase lifted his chin slightly, the entire picture starting to come together in his mind.

"I got a job waiting tables at O' Sullivans… and when they weren't too busy the owner would let me work the bar so I could get more tips," she told him.

"But after a whole semester of being off the game…" she said, trailing off.

"You missed it," Chase said, finishing her thought for her.

"'Missed' doesn't even _REMOTELY_ describe it," Sophie replied.

"So you went back to him," Chase said.

"Not to work things out between us. To set up a business relationship," Sophie clarified.

"I told him it was because I needed the cash… but he saw right through me," Sophie said, the disappointment in herself evident in her voice.

She then looked down at her lap in defeat.

"He knew I couldn't stay away from the game," she admitted with an embarrassed shrug.

"And ever since then, he's been trying to get me to admit it…" she continued.

"…And I refuse to give him the satisfaction," she finished.

"...Present tense?" Chase said with an arched eyebrow.

"…I saw him a couple of days ago," she revealed to Chase.

"How'd that go?" he asked her.

"He bet bet me that I'd be back at the tables in three months," Sophie replied.

"Did you take the bet?" Chase asked with interest.

"Nope," Sophie said.

"Why not?" Chase asked.

"Because I told him that in three months without me looking over his shoulder that he'd be dead," Sophie replied.

Chase blinked his eyes, in shock once again.

"I'm done with him," Sophie declared firmly.

"I'm glad," Chase said.

"... And... he also told me that you'd never get over Cameron," she added.

At that moment, Chase started to feel an uneasy feeling in his chest.

But it wasn't nausea.

"…Sophie… Cameron and I are still friends…" Chase began.

"We'll probably always be friends," he continued as gently as he could.

"I know," Sophie replied.

"And I also know that they'll probably always be something between you and her," she added.

"And you're ok with that?" he asked.

"Did you mean everything you said tonight about how you feel about me?" Sophie asked, placing her hand on his thigh.

"Yes," Chase stated sincerely without missing a beat.

"Then I am," she told him softly.

Chase smiled at her lovingly. He then reached over towards the coffee table as best as he could and managed to grab a second teaspoon that was on the table. He took out a generous spoonful of chocolate ice cream and held it up to her lips.

"Have some," he told her.

"No I shouldn't," Sophie said, shaking her head.

"I miss your curves," Chase said in the soft, gentle voice that made Sophie's stomach do flip- flops.

Sophie met his beautiful blue- green eyes, drowing in them as she always did when he looked at her.

"…Ok," she acquiesced as Chase fed her the ice cream.

TBC…


	72. Chapter 70

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL POSTS AND FOR READING!!**

**THIS IS A LONG CHAPTER... BUT I THINK YOU MIGHT LIKE IT.... ;)**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-)**

***************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 70: Please read and comment.**

**SATURDAY NIGHT.**

**CUDDY'S HOME:**

"Mmm… just like that," Cuddy moaned softly in pleasure.

House still couldn't get over how the sound of Cuddy's voice and the feel of her naked body against his affected him.

She was underneath him on her bed.

_THEIR_ bed.

Her cheeks were flushed with desire, her long lashes almost grazing her cheekbones. 

House kissed his way down Cuddy's graceful neck to her voluptuous breasts, taking her rosebud nipple languidly into her mouth. His tongue tasted her areola and the peak, his lips closing around them.

As he gave his undivided attention to her breasts and nipples, Cuddy wrapped her long, toned legs around his back, nuzzling her face into his neck.

"Make love to me, Greg…" she whispered.

His cock throbbing intensely at her throaty, sexy alto, he held her hips possessively as he thrust inside her hard, making her cry out.

They fell into a deliciously sedate rhythm together, their passions rising inside them.

He watched her face intently as they made love, propping himself up as best as he could, feeling his arousal heighten at her response.

She arched back, sexy little whimpers escaping her luscious lips, and her perky breasts bouncing slightly with every thrust.

"You like it when I go slow?" House murmured huskily.

"Ohh yesss…." Cuddy breathed passionately.

At this, House slightly slowed down his thrusts even more so. He lowered his lips down to hers and kissed her hungrily, cupping her breast and circling her rose- pink erect nipple with his thumb, still wet from his mouth.

Cuddy gasped into his mouth at the feeling of his hand warming her breast and grazing her nipple.

He then shifted his body higher, putting pressure on just the right spot with each deep thrust inside her.

"Ooh!" Cuddy squealed at the new, lovely friction she felt against her nub.

House swiveled his hips slightly, causing Cuddy to press her hips against his, meeting him thrust for thrust. She held onto him desperately, as if she'd never let go of him.

His mouth came down hard onto her lips again, his tongue searching, probing to reach the deepest part of her.

She moaned passionately into his mouth, thrusting her hips even harder against him.

"Oh, that's it's baby…" House said in a low voice against her mouth.

"I'm so close…" Cuddy managed to say, her voice going up almost an octave, tilting her head back.

"Come for me, Lise," House told her in a commanding, yet gentle voice, feeling himself about to explode.

At that, her wet velvety walls tightened around his hard shaft as she tipped over the edge, milking him of his own orgasm.

He buried his face in her neck and the pillow as he forcefully came inside her. A flood of moisture coated his erection as her lips parted, her eyes fluttering.

"OH _GOD_!" House cried out.

"…Oh Greg…" she sighed.

As a slow smile formed on Cuddy's face as she reveled in the downward slope of her orgasm.

House lifted his head immediately from the pillow, his eyebrow arched in surprise.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Cuddy was lying on her back on her bed after she and House had made love, her eyes still closed, the same satisfied smile on her features.

She had pulled the flat sheet underneath her comforter above her breasts, enjoying the afterglow and the softness of the cotton fabric against her bare skin.

House was lying on his side next to her, the sheet draped over the lower half of his body, propped up on his elbow, watching her intently.

"What?" Cuddy said, knowing that he was staring at her without opening her eyes.

"_'Oh Greg?_'" House repeated quizzically. "That's _IT_?"

A curt chuckle escaped Cuddy's lips as she opened her eyes and rolled over onto her side to face him.

"Did you want me to say someone _ELSE'S_ name?" she asked him teasingly.

"You didn't _SAY_ it. You _SIGHED_ it. Usually you _SCREAM_ my name. You don't _SIGH_ it," House clarified accusingly.

"Well… this time I felt like sighing," Cuddy said lightly with a shrug.

House kept his intense stare on her, trying to ascertain the possible meaning behind her words.

Cuddy snorted and rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Greg, it was fine. Stop worrying," she told him as she began to turn away from him.

House's eyes widened a bit.

"'_FINE_,'" he repeated flatly.

Cuddy rolled back towards him once more, looking at him over her shoulder.

"Yeah," she said. "So?"

"'Fine' is not the adjective you should be using right now. '_Fantastic__.' 'Amazing.' 'Rocked my world—_'" House said.

"'_Rocked my world_' isn't an adjective,'" Cuddy said dryly as she turned away from him once more.

House paused for a moment, tilting his head with a mixture of curiosity and growing annoyance.

"Chase was better wasn't he?" House asked.

Still facing away from him, Cuddy pressed her lips together as hard as she could, trying desperately not to laugh out loud.

She knew that she was torturing him, and she also knew that House most likely wouldn't sleep that night.

But she was enjoying tormenting him way too much to give up now. 

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That same night, Sophie and Chase were watching the ending of Alfred Hitchcock's classic film, "_The Birds._"

Sophie's legs were stretched out across Chase's lap while Chase's ankle was still propped up on the pillow on the coffee table. He had been gently massaging her feet while they watched.

But as the camera pulled further back during the final scene of the film and there were menacing birds as far as the eye can see as a convertible drove away from them, Chase stopped his soft caress on her instep and just stared intently at the screen.

Sophie stifled a giggle as she watched Chase watch the movie, loving how the classic horror film had sucked him in.

Finally, as the credits rolled, Chase let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding in. Sophie grinned, completely understanding what that felt like.

"So, what did you think?" She asked him.

"…Wow," was all Chase could say.

"The ending was ominous, right?" Sophie said, feeling her excitement grow.

"To say the least!" Chase agreed.

"You know I was fifteen the first time I watched that," Sophie told him.

"How did you sleep at night?" Chase asked her.

"I didn't for two weeks," Sophie confessed. "Jimmy was in med school at the time and I would call him every night because I knew he'd be up."

Chase laughed. "Do you want to watch the other movie?" he asked her.

Sophie glanced at the DVD copy of "_Psycho_" that Chase had rented. She then turned towards him and met his gaze. His fingertips were delicately brushing the tops of her pink polished toes.

"… Not really," Sophie replied softly.

"I mean, I've seen it a lot of times," Sophie added quickly. "And it's getting late—"

"I understand. You're probably exhausted from the flight," Chase said.

"Oh, no. I'm not tired. I just thought _YOU_ might be," Sophie clarified.

"No, I'm fine, actually…" Chase replied.

They looked at each other shyly for a moment, neither of them saying anything.

Then they both laughed nervously.

"This used to be easier," Sophie said as they laughed together.

Chase nodded, still smiling. He gently pushed her feet off his lap and pulled her closer towards him on the couch. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she draped her arms about his neck.

But instead of kissing her, he looked into her eyes with a serious expression.

"Sophie, I completely understand if you're hesitant or nervous…" Chase began.

Sophie tilted her head slightly, a bit confused by his words.

"And… if you're not ready for us to be intimate yet, I can wait," Chase told her sincerely.

At this, Sophie smirked in amusement.

"What?" Chase asked.

"Actually, I was trying to think what would be the best position for us to have sex without putting too much stress on your ankle," Sophie replied simply.

Chase raised his eyebrows in surprise and extreme interest.

"Do you still have that copy of the Kama Sutra that House gave your for Christmas?" Sophie asked him.

Chase immediately grabbed his crutches which were propped up against the arm of the couch and pushed himself off the couch eagerly.

"I can check," he told her as he headed to the bookshelf in his living room as quickly as his ankle and crutches would allow.

Sophie burst out laughing and followed him to the bookshelf.

After quickly flipping through the book for a few minutes, both Chase and Sophie found a page with a position that they immediately knew would be perfect for them. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It didn't take long for Chase and Sophie to get into the position they had found in the book.

Chase was sitting up straight, leaning back against the headboard of his bed.

They had already helped each other out of their jeans and Chase's boxers. Chase's rock hard shaft throbbing against Sophie's low cut- bikini lace panties as she straddled him on the bed, her legs tucked underneath her.

Sophie had placed two pillows under Chase's left ankle to make sure it was elevated.

But Chase was feeling absolutely no pain.

They kissed passionately, their lips hungrily exploring each other's as Chase peeled her black empire waist camisole off her body, revealing a black, plunge, lacy demi cup bra.

"Oh god," Chase groaned in pleasure at the sight of her perky breasts in her bra, cupping them in his hands possessively.

"I know… they're smaller," Sophie breathed against his lips as she quickly pulled Chase's shirt over his head.

"They're _PERFECT_," he assured her huskily.

He quickly popped open the clasp of her bra, peeling it off her and tossing it somewhere onto the floor of his room. He took one of her breasts greedily into his mouth, sucking on her taut nipple vigorously.

Sophie gasped, arching back at the feeling of Chase's mouth on her breast. She ran her hands down his smooth, muscular back and threaded them through his thick, blond hair, encouraging him on.

Chase's cock throbbed against her panties, becoming more excited and frustrated at the scrap of silk between them.

He grazed his lips and tongue up her breast, her collarbone and found her lips once more.

"I need you right now," he told her.

Sophie nodded and began to carefully push herself off him to peel off her panties.

Chase vigorously shook his head, pulling her back down to him.

He then slipped his hand in between their bodies underneath her lacy panties. He found her wet and more than ready for him. Sophie's breath caught at the touch of his fingertips.

Chase felt his heart hammering inside his chest at her response to him. He became more excited as she expressed her intense pleasure with sexy cries as he pushed his fingers deeper inside her.

"…More…" she begged.

"Tell me what you want, baby…" Chase murmured in a low voice, his accent thickening.

"…You," she pleaded as she pushed her hips in time with his fingers thrusting even deeper inside her.

"Tell me…" he pressed her, his lips against her neck.

Sophie was breathing heavily, becoming even more aroused at the sound of Chase's voice and what he was asking of her.

"… Fill me up, Robbie," she breathed, feeling all her inhibitions disappear.

Chase wasted no time.

He reached over to the night- stand and rummaged through the drawer quickly, finding a loose condom. He haphazardly ripped open the package, sheathed himself with Sophie's help, pushed her panties aside and thrust himself inside her.

"Oh _YES_!" Sophie

Chase grabbed her hips as she rode his cock, thrusting up inside her as best he could. She took the lead and clutched onto the top of the headboard, using it for leverage as she pushed her hips against his.

Chase began to breathe heavily as Sophie found a rhythm, swiveling her hips in slow, clockwise circles.

Now it was Chase's turn to beg.

"Oh _GOD_ Sophie, _please_ don't stop…" he pleaded.

"Don't stop what?" Sophie demanded in a breathy voice, feeling her wet walls begin to flutter and tighten around his cock.

"_Don't stop fucking me, baby_," he managed to say, tightening his grip on her hips.

Sophie grabbed onto the headboard even harder, pushing against him more forcefully.

Her orgasm hit her hard and everywhere, making her cry out his name as she shuddered against him

Chase could swear he saw colored explosions behind his eyelids as he came inside her.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 At around the same time, Cameron and Sebastian walked down the hallway of her towards her apartment, their fingers laced through each other's.

Tonight was their second date. They had gone out for drinks and dessert that evening.

Cameron couldn't remember the last time she had such a wonderful time.

They had talked the entire evening about so many things-- art, movies, the books they had read.

But what she was most fascinated in was his stories about Africa.

He had touched and helped the lives of so many people. He seemed to know so many little details about his patients. And it was simple things, like their favorite American sports teams or what kind of music they liked. He spoke about his patients as if they were members of his family.

She remembered when both House and Chase had ridiculed his altruism years ago. House didn't believe for one moment that he was genuinely—that he loved the fame and attention he received more than helping people.

But she didn't see that at all.

She just saw a caring, generous and wonderful man, who seemed enraptured by the little anecdotes of her life, which paled in comparison to his.

As they reached her door, Cameron turned to him and smiled.

"I had a such a wonderful time tonight," she said.

"So did I," Sebastian replied sincerely.

They stood there in the hallway, looking at each other shyly. Sebastian shifted his weight slightly, a tiny hopeful, yet hesitant smile forming on his face.

Cameron felt a blush grow on her cheeks, knowing the meaning behind his smile.

"… Would you like to come in for a while?" Cameron asked.

"Yes, I would," he replied.

Cameron began to insert the key into the lock of her front door.

"But you really don't want me to," he added, interrupting her.

Cameron exhaled, slumping her shoulders a bit. Sebastian smirked at her reaction as he turned towards him. She took her hands in his, holding them in the space between their bodies as they stood there facing each other.

"…Remember when I said that I feel like I keep making the same mistakes?" Cameron asked him, looking down at their hands.

Sebstian nodded, rubbing the back of her hands with his thumbs.

"I… don't want to make those mistakes with you," she said.

"Because I really like you… and… I don't want to screw this up by going too fast," she admitted.

Sebastian smiled. "I really like you, too," he told her.

He then placed his fingertips underneath her chin, tilting her face to meet his gaze.

"I've waited three years for you…" he began, cupping her face.

"So… I guess I can wait a little longer," he said.

He then leaned forward and captured her lips in a soft, searching kiss. Cameron's eyes fluttered closed as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He pulled her against his body as their kiss deepened.

After a few moments, their lips reluctantly parted. Still holding each other close, he nuzzled her nose.

"Good- night, Ally," he whispered close to her lips.

"G' night, Sebastian," she replied softly.

He then finally let go of her, allowing her to enter her apartment.

Cameron closed the door behind her and smiled happily as she leaned her back against the door.

But what she didn't know was that Sebastian was doing exactly the same thing on the other side of her door. -

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Sophie and Chase were lying in bed naked after making love.

She was nestled on top of him, her head resting comfortably on his bare chest, his ankle still propped up on the pillow as he nuzzled her hair.

"Remind me to send House a thank- you card for that book," Chase murmured against her hair.

Sophie chuckled. "Don't worry. I will," she assured him as she caressed his smooth skin.

"I've missed you so much," he murmured softly.

Sophie lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him. She scooted up higher on his body and brushed her lips against his.

"I've missed you," she whispered.

She lay back down on Chase's chest as he wrapped his arm around her, finding their natural, comfortable position once more.

As they enjoyed a wonderful silence together, they heard the sound of knocking at the door.

"Is someone knocking?" Sophie asked.

"Probably the headboard banging against the wall again in the apartment next to mine," Chase said dismissively.

The knock continued repeatedly.

"I think that's your front door," Sophie said.

Chase glanced at the clock, arching his eyebrow.

"At one am?" Chase asked in disbelief.

As the knock continued with no signs of letting up, Sophie began to get up out of Chase's bed. He immediately pulled her back down against him.

"You're not getting that," Chase declared.

Sophie tsked. "There's no reason why you should get up out of bed—" she began.

"What if it's a burglar?" he asked her pointedly.

"Since when would a burglar _KNOCK_?" Sophie demanded with amusement.

Chase grunted and shook his head.

"Stay here," he told her as he pushed himself out of the bed, grabbing his boxers off the floor.

As Sophie pulled the sheet over her naked frame and shifted onto her side, she watched him slip his boxers on with confusion, her amusement growing.

"What's your plan? Are you gonna beat him off with your crutches while standing on one foot?" she asked with a broad grin.

Chase gave her a sidelong glance and playfully swatted her ass over the sheet.

"You're gonna pay for that one, little girl," he told her.

"Ooh, I hope so," she replied.

Chase grinned all the way to the door.

As he finally arrived at his front door, he looked through the peep hole and furrowed his brow at who was standing on the other side. He opened the door slowly.

"Yes?" he asked impatiently with a flat look on his face.

House stood in the doorway, looking past him into his apartment.

"Aren't you gonna invite me in?" House asked.

Chase continued to stare at him with the same look.

"No," Chase replied simply.

"Did Lisa scream out your name during sex or did she just say it?" House asked him as if it was the most natural question in the world.

Chase stood there, dumfounded, his expression not changing at all.

"What, you don't remember? It was only back in October," House reminded him.

"No… I'm just trying to remember if hallucinating is a side effect of Ultram," Chase told him.

"You're taking Ultram?" House asked him with slight interest.

Chase felt as if he was in the Twilight Zone.

"I'm… going back to bed now," Chase finally said, starting to close the door.

But House stopped him before he could close it all the way.

"After she came back from that conference, she said that you rang her bell twice. Was that twice in one night, or did you have sex two times that weekend?" House asked him.

At that moment, Chase suddenly realized that House was serious.

And as that realization set in, he smiled ever so slightly, an epiphany striking him.

"Come on. Just tell me what secret Aussie sex technique you used on her. Do you go clockwise instead of counter- clockwise?" House asked, his voice half- mocking.

"Yes. _ALL_ Australians know the 'secret counter- clockwise sex technique,'" Chase said dryly.

House raised his eyebrows in genuine surprise.

"Seriously?!" he asked.

"No," Chase replied without missing a beat.

"Good- night, House," he added before closing the door.

"_Wanker_!" House called out on the other side before walking down the hallway.

As Chase made his way back to the bedroom, his tiny smile widened.

"What's going on?" Sophie asked with interest.

Chase got back into the bed with her, placed his ankle back on the pillows and pulled Sophie closer to him.

"Cuddy's screwing with House," Chase told her.

Sophie shrugged.

"Cool," she replied as she wrapped his arms around his neck.

TBC…


	73. Chapter 71

**HI EVERYONE!**

**THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS AND FOR READING!**

**WE'RE COMING CLOSER TO THE END OF THIS FIC. :( **

**THERE ARE STILL A FEW CHAPTERS LEFT... BUT...**

**I'M PLAYING AROUND WITH SOME IDEAS FOR A SEQUEL... :)**

**SOME PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST ALREADY, WHICH MAKES ME HAPPY!!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED AS WELL.**

**IN THE MEANTIME, HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

*********************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 71: Please read and comment.**

The next morning, close to 10 AM, Chase woke up naked in his bed on his left side, feeling rested and happy.

Sophie was still sleeping, peacefully in his arms, also on her left side, facing slightly away from him, her head resting on his shoulder and her back pressed against Chase's chest.

Chase reveled in the delicious feeling of her naked body against him. He softly pressed his nose against her bare shoulder, taking in the faint scent of the remnants of her jasmine soap and something just her.

For a while, he just lay there, feeling her sleep against him, his breathing falling into the pattern of hers.

He then brushed the curve of her shoulder with his lips as lightly as he possibly could, so as not to wake her, thinking how wonderful it would be to wake up just like this with her every day.

Just them Sophie's cell phone rang on Chase's night- stand. He quickly reached over and opened it, cursing silently whoever was calling her.

"Hello?" he whispered, his voice still rough around the edges from sleep.

He looked back down at Sophie to see if the phone had woken her up.

But it hadn't.

"… _Chase_?" Wilson said in surprise on the other end after a noticeable pause.

Chase arched his eyebrow, surprised himself at Wilson's tone.

"…You _DO_ know that Sophie stayed here last night, didn't you?" Chase asked him.

"Yeah, but… she's just usually up by now," Wilson replied.

Chase smiled and breathed a tiny laugh through his nose, remembering that he and Sophie had spent half the night having incredibly passionate and intense reunion/ make up sex.

But Wilson didn't need to know that.

"What's up?" Chase casually said instead.

"Debbie and I are going for brunch at the "A and B." You want to join us?" Wilson asked him cordially.

At first, Chase didn't answer, thinking to himself that he really had no desire to get out of bed for the rest of the day.

But he had the feeling that if he said 'no' to Wilson's invitation, Sophie might not be too happy.

"What time?" Chase asked.

"How's eleven- thirty sound?" Wilson asked.

"Sounds good," Chase said.

"Great. We'll meet you then," Wilson said before hanging up.

As Chase closed Sophie's phone and placed it back on his night- stand, he felt Sophie stirring in his arms. He wrapped his arms around her supple, naked frame, pulling her closer her.

"Mmm. Who was that?" Sophie asked him in a raspy voice upon awakening, her eyes still closed.

Chase kissed her cheek gently and wrapped his right leg around her thigh. He nuzzled her neck lovingly.

"Your brother. He invited us for brunch at eleven- thirty," Chase murmured into her neck as he cupped her breast delicately in his hand.

Sophie arched her back against Chase's bare chest and smiled lazily, loving the feeling of his hand warming her breast.

"What time is it now?" she asked.

"Close to ten," Chase replied, brushing her now erect nipple with his thumb.

Sophie gasped at his touch. She then turned around to face him, opening her eyes and wrapping her left leg around his hip, pressing her naked body against his, grinning at the feel of Chase's morning erection against her stomach and the sensation of her naked breasts against his bare chest.

"Plenty of time," Sophie said sexily.

Chase grinned and nodded eagerly before engulfing her mouth in a passionate kiss. He started to roll her over onto her back when she suddenly stopped him, placing her hand on his chest.

"Wait a minute. How's your ankle?" Sophie asked him.

Chase froze, looking away from her slightly with a look of realization.

Because he just realized that he hadn't thought about his ankle that morning until just that moment.

He then noticed that that the pillow that his ankle had been propped up on was no longer on the bed. Sometime during the night, it had fallen off the bed and onto the floor.

"…It's… _GOOD_," he stated in surprise.

"How long ago did you take the Ultram?" Sophie asked him.

An even more stunned expression appeared on his face, his lips parting slightly as he focused on her once again.

"…_I DIDN'T_," he told her, shaking his head a bit.

Sophie immediately sat up in the bed. She stared at Chase, her eyes dancing.

"You're not feeling _ANY PAIN_?" Sophie clarified incredulously.

"Let's not get excited. I've been sleeping, I haven't put any weight on it yet—" Chase began carefully, holding up his hand for emphasis.

"But for _MONTHS_ you've been waking up with pain every morning, and now you're NOT!" Sophie stated, her voice becoming more enthusiastic and hopeful and her face becoming brighter.

A slow smile formed on Chase's face as a tiny laugh escaped his lips.

"We need to celebrate _IMMEDIATELY_," Chase declared.

Sophie laughed out loud as Chase pulled her wrist out from under her and pinned her underneath him. She wrapped his legs around his back, pulling him closer to her as they kissed again, unable to wipe the grins off their faces.  

----------------------------------------------------------------------- 

At 11:45, Sophie and Chase arrived at the _"Alchemist and Barrister,"_ a legendary restaurant and pub located in an historic building in the heart of Princeton.

"I don't see them, do you?" Sophie asked Chase, squinting her eyes before going into her purse to take out her glasses.

As she did, Chase leaned on his crutches and scanned among the many tables in one of the restaurant's main dining room for Wilson and Debbie.

But when he finally spotted them, he froze when he saw House and Cuddy sitting at a table for six with them.

"You ok?" Sophie asked him, arching her eyebrow as she noticed Chase's expression.

"Wilson didn't mention that House and Cuddy were coming," Chase told her almost nervously, jutting his chin at the table they were sitting at.

Sophie followed his eyes and saw House and Cuddy.

"… And something tells me that House didn't know that I was going to be here either," Chase added warily, recalling House's unannounced visit to his apartment last night.

Sophie chuckled. "Just relax. I'm sure House knows that Cuddy's been screwing with him," she reassured him.

Just then, House turned towards the entrance of the restaurant and noticed that Chase and Sophie were standing there. He shot Chase a death glare from his position at the table.

Chase actually recoiled a bit for a moment at House's look.

"…Or not," Sophie said hesitantly, smirking at Chase's reaction.

She followed Chase slowly to the patio area of the restaurant, thanking people as they moved out of the way to let Chase through with his crutches.

As Sophie and Chase made their way over to the table, Cuddy took another sip of her mimosa while House continued to eye Chase.

"You didn't tell me the blonde sex god was coming," House muttered to Cuddy in her ear.

"Greg, let it go," Cuddy said wearily.

"Yeah. I'm good at that," House said dryly as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Can we just enjoy one meal without you either embarrassing and/ or making someone miserable?" Cuddy asked him.

"How long have you known him?" Wilson asked Cuddy as he held Debbie's hand underneath the table.

When Chase and Sophie arrived at the table, Sophie kissed Wilson, Debbie and Cuddy 'hello' and helped Chase get situated in his chair.

"Do you need to elevate your ankle?" Cuddy asked him, looking around the restaurant for a waiter who could bring them an extra chair.

"No need," Chase replied with a smile as Sophie handed him a waiting menu after he placed his crutches under the table.

As Chase and Sophie perused the brunch choices, House looked at his watch in an overly dramatic fashion.

"Hmm. Fifteen minutes late. I'm guessing sex twice at Chase's place and maybe a happy ending in the car," House stated to both of them.

Cuddy rubbed her forehead in aggravation and took a long sip of her mimosa.

Wilson arched his eyebrow at Sophie, who refused to look up from her menu, feeling her cheeks begin to flush.

But Chase merely grinned back at House.

"Nothing you say or do today can make me miserable," Chase declared confidently.

"Is that a challenge or something? I've always wanted to play _'Who Wants to Ruin the Wombat's Day,'_" House said.

"Robbie woke up without any pain this morning," Sophie explained to everyone at the table with a smile.

"That's wonderful!" Cuddy exclaimed. "You only had the surgery last Wednesday!"

"Guess Eng is as good as Cameron said he is," Chase replied, still grinning.

At the mention of Cameron's name, Sophie couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy, but she forced herself to brush it away.

"Did you take the Ultram yet today?" House asked him.

Sophie and Chase turned towards House, who was staring at Chase in contemplation.

"Not yet. I haven't needed to," Chase replied.

"That was stupid. You'll need it later and then it'll be too late to prevent pain and you'll have to wait for it to kick in," House told him.

"The orders on the script are 'as needed.' I don't _NEED_ it, therefore, I didn't _TAKE_ it," Chase replied pedantically.

"Did you think about the fact that the Ultram is the only thing that's preventing you from having withdrawal from the opiates?" House countered.

As Chase kept his gaze on House, weighing the pros and cons of experiencing side effects of the meds in the restaurant and not wanting to believe the truth in his words, he felt Sophie place her hand on top of his on the table.

"Why don't you just take one, just in case," Sophie suggested gently.

Chase finally nodded reluctantly, dug his meds out of his pants pocket and swallowed one of his pills and chased it with the glass of orange juice in front of him. He then took a small mini blueberry muffin out of the basket in the center of the table to eat so the medicine wouldn't upset his stomach.

As he did, an uncomfortable silence enveloped the table.

"So is it true what they say? Once you go cripple, you never go back?" House asked Sophie.

Everyone turned to House in shock at his statement, except for Sophie, who met House's gaze with the tiny, serene smile she only used at the poker table.

"By the way, it's counter- clockwise, in case you were wondering," she said to House, winking at Cuddy.

House's smirk disappeared as Cuddy burst out laughing. Chase nearly choked on the piece of muffin that was currently in his mouth.

"What's counter- clockwise?" Wilson asked in confusion.

"The 'secret Aussie sex technique,'" House declared. "Apparently, it's the reason why your little sister and skippy were late for your special announcement."

But instead of Wilson becoming irritated at House's continuing objective to embarrass him and his sister, Wilson stared at House in shock.

"… How did you know we had a special announcement?" Wilson asked.

"You invited all of us for Sunday brunch. Since when do you ever having anything but bagels and coffee on Sundays?" House stated almost accusingly.

At that, Wilson and Debbie exchanged shy smiles.  

"I guess that's our cue," Debbie said with a shrug.

"Do you want to tell them?" Wilson asked her.

Debbie turned towards Sophie with the same shy smile on her face.

"Sophie, last night your brother asked me to marry him," Debbie began.

She took her left hand out from under the table that Wilson had been holding since they arrived and proudly showed off the almost two carat square cut solitaire engagement ring she was wearing.

"And I said yes," she finished happily with a huge smile.

At first, Sophie just sat there with her mouth gaped open, having no idea how to respond.

House, Cuddy and Chase were equally stymied.

Finally, realizing that she'd better say something, Sophie grinned broadly and got up from the table towards her brother and Debbie.

"... Congratulations!" Sophie exclaimed, kissing and hugging them both.

Chase leaned over towards Debbie and kissed her cheek and reached across the table to shake Wilson's hand. Debbie proudly showed off her ring to both Sophie and Chase, tilting it to make it sparkle.

As she did, House began to open his mouth to say something.

But he suddenly felt Cuddy place her hand firmly on his thigh underneath the table.

Upon feeling her hand, he locked eyes with her.

"_DON'T SAY A WORD_," Cuddy told him softly yet firmly before going over to congratulate Wilson and Debbie.

TBC…


	74. Chapter 72

**HI EVERYONE!**

**WELL, WE'VE ONLY GOT TWO OR THREE CHAPTERS OF THIS FIC LEFT. :(**

**BUT THERE WILL BE A SEQUEL!! :D**

**THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THESE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS THAT WILL LEAD US TO THE NEXT STORY, WHICH IS STILL IN THE PLANNING STAGES.**

**IN THE MEANTIME, HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

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**CHAPTER 72: Please read and comment.**

Sophie, last night your brother asked me to marry him," Debbie began.

She took her left hand out from under the table that Wilson had been holding since they arrived and proudly showed off the almost two carat square cut solitaire engagement ring she was wearing.

"And I said yes," she finished with a huge smile.

At first, Sophie just sat there with her mouth gaped open, having no idea how to respond.

House, Cuddy and Chase were equally stymied.

Finally, realizing that she'd better say something, Sophie grinned broadly and got up from the table towards her brother and Debbie.

"Congratulations!" Sophie exclaimed, kissing and hugging them both.

Chase leaned over towards Debbie and kissed her cheek and reached across the table to shake Wilson's hand. Debbie proudly showed off her ring to both Sophie and Chase, tilting it to make it sparkle.

As she did, House began to open his mouth to say something.

But he suddenly felt Cuddy place her hand firmly on his thigh underneath the table.

Upon feeling her hand, he locked eyes with her.

"_DON'T SAY A WORD_," Cuddy told him softly yet firmly before going over to congratulate Wilson and Debbie. 

----------------------------------------------------------- 

"So how did you propose?" Chase asked Wilson with interest.

"We brought in some pizza and opened a bottle of wine. We were just eating dinner and he took the ring box out of his pocket, opened it and asked me," Debbie said, still starry- eyed from the entire experience.

"I completely surprised her," Wilson said proudly, placing his arm around Debbie.

Debbie nodded enthusiastically in agreement, a huge smile on her face.

"He really did. I had no idea!" she gushed, as she leaned over and kissed Wilson.

"You could probably teach master classes in perfect proposals at this point," House muttered.

Chase smiled and chuckled at House's comment, but then stifled himself when he realized that Sophie might be angry at him for laughing at a joke at her brother's expense.

But Sophie didn't respond.

She was merely leaning on her hand, her elbow propped up on the table, looking at Wilson and Debbie contemplatively.

But Cuddy efficiently smacked House's shoulder and turned back to them.

"So did you already start making plans for the wedding?" Cuddy asked instead.

"Not yet, but I don't want anything extravagant," Debbie said dismissively.

Wilson turned towards Debbie, truly surprised.

"You _don't_?" Wilson asked her, his eyebrows raised.

Debbie shrugged shyly. "Well, you've been married three times… I'm an older bride—" Debbie began.

"You're thirty- five. You're _HARDLY_ an older bride," Wilson interrupted.

He then turned towards her in his seat and took both her hands in his.

"This is going to be a special day for both of us, and I want you to be happy," Wilson told her.

"Trust him. He's speaking from experience," House snarked.

But Wilson and Debbie were too caught up in each other to respond to House's jab.

"…I know it's lame… but I've always wanted to get married on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean," Debbie mumbled as she glanced down at their hands together.

"That's not lame, it's romantic," Chase replied.

Cuddy smiled as she caught Chase's eye.

"It sure is," she agreed with a nod.

Chase grinned and glanced at Sophie, expecting to see her melt from his charm as she usually did.

But as he saw her face, his smile slowly disappeared.

Sophie was sitting all the way back in her chair, her hands folded in her lap, watching Wilson and Debbie thoughtfully.

Her face was complete serene, almost devoid of emotion.

Chase couldn't read her face at all.

"Well if that's what you've always wanted, then that's what we'll do," Wilson assured Debbie, stroking her cheek gently with his fingertips.

"Oh James..." Debbie whispered as their lips met in a passionate kiss at the table.

"Oh, god. Welcome to Hell," House complained.

As Chase and Cuddy smirked with embarrassment at the way Wilson and Debbie were kissing at the table, a curt chuckle escaped Sophie's lips at House's remark.

Upon hearing her laugh, House diverted his attention away from Wilson and Debbie and towards Sophie, narrowing his eyes a bit.

Aware that House's eyes were focused on her, Sophie took a sip of her mimosa, her serene expression returning to her face.

After they broke their kiss, Debbie turned towards Sophie.

"Sophie, I don't have any sisters or female cousins…" Debbie began.

"I'd really like you to be my maid of honor," Debbie told her.

Sophie paused for a moment, stunned.

She then smiled softly and nodded.

"Of course. I'd love to," Sophie replied.

House lips turned up at the corners as Debbie got up from the table to engulf Sophie in a hug, noticing that Sophie's smile disappeared as soon as she hugged her back.

He always loved it when a new puzzle presented itself. 

------------------------------------------------------------- 

After they had finished brunch at the "A and B," House, Wilson, Cuddy and Debbie went back to Cuddy's home.

Cuddy and Debbie were in the kitchen pouring over the seven- hundred dresses in the latest issue of "_Modern Bride_" that Debbie had bought that morning in the grocery store before they had met everyone else for brunch.

House and Wilson were in Cuddy's living room. They had tuned the TV to a monster truck rally on ESPN loudly enough to drown out Cuddy and Debbie's conversation.

"Do we really have to watch this?" Wilson mumbled.

"Shush," House said.

Wilson exhaled as he folded his arms across his chest. He leaned back further against Cuddy's couch.

"So it looks like Debbie from accounting is going to be the fourth ex- Mrs. Wilson," House commented, remaining transfixed on the TV.

Wilson dramatically looked at his wrist watch.

"It's about time you mocked my engagement," Wilson said dryly. "I was starting to feel neglected."

"Are you trying to beat Elizabeth Taylor's personal record or something?" House asked.

"You're comparing me to Elizabeth Taylor? You couldn't pick Henry VIII or some other _MALE_ casanova?" Wilson retorted.

"Henry beheaded two of his wives. I didn't think wonder boy oncologist would want to be compared to a ruthless Scottish king," House said.

"He was _English_," Wilson corrected him.

"Same thing," House said.

Wilson rolled his eyes a bit and decided to stop listening to House, focusing instead on the monster truck rally on TV.

"Amber's only been dead for a year. You don't think this is about how lonely you are?" House demanded.

"Debbie and I love each other, and we make each other happy," Wilson replied simply.

"For now, until you cheat on her or until she cheats on you because you'll be spending all your time with your patients or with me," House stated.

"So I take it that you have no interest in being my best man, then" Wilson said, ignoring his last remark.

House turned his head sharply towards Wilson in surprise, his eyes widened slightly.

"Wait a minute. I never said that," House argued.

"No, that's ok. You made it perfectly clear how you feel about this wedding and this marriage. I'm not going to force you to participate in a hypocrisy," Wilson said lightly, holding up his hands for emphasis.

House snorted. "I didn't say it was a hypocrisy," House muttered. "I just said—"

"Maybe I'll ask Chase to be my best man," Wilson said thoughtfully, narrowing his eyes a bit as if he was actually thinking it over.

"_CHASE_?!" House exclaimed in shock and horror.

"He does remind me a lot of you lately. You both have bad legs… you're both addicted to Vicodin… you both have scruffy beards… you both slept with Lisa—" Wilson said, struggling to stifle a grin, thoroughly enjoying himself.

"All right. I get it," House interrupted flatly, scowling at the TV, lowering his head a bit as he always did when he was focusing on something.

Wilson laughed at first, but then his smile disappeared as he noticed that there was more than irritation behind House's eyes.

"…You were jealous when Chase said he didn't feel any pain this morning, weren't you?" Wilson asked him.

"He's not out of the woods yet. The pain he didn't feel this morning was probably post- surgical pain. Not the pain of the original break," House replied gruffly almost on top of Wilson's answer.

Wilson nodded with a shrug.

"…Probably," he agreed.

House continued to stare at the TV, not saying anything else.

Wilson knew all too well that House was wrapped up in his own thoughts about his own leg and his own limitations.

"You know that Cuddy's screwing with you, right?" Wilson said to him suddenly.

House turned back to Wilson with an arched eyebrow.

"You _honestly_ think she preferred Chase to you? If she did, she'd _BE_ with Chase and not you," Wilson explained in an obvious tone.

At this, House looked into the kitchen at Cuddy and Debbie, who were still looking enthusiastically through Debbie's bridal magazine.

"Oh Lisa, you are in _SO_ much trouble," House said in a low voice, his face sporting a mischievous smile as he gazed at Cuddy, plotting his sweet revenge.

Wilson smiled as well, knowing that he was able to distract his best friend for the time being. 

------------------------------------------------------------ 

A little while later, Chase was in his living room, resting his ankle on a pillow on his coffee table, playing "Tony Hawk's Proving Ground," on his XBox.

"What time's your flight back tonight?" Chase called out to Sophie.

"Seven," Sophie called back from Chase's bedroom where she was packing her suitcase.

Chase glanced at his watch, which read 3 pm. He knew that they had to get to the airport by 5:30, which meant that they didn't have much time left for a long good- bye.

"Do you really have to go back?" Chase said sadly.

Upon hearing this, Sophie appeared in the doorway of Chase's bedroom and leaned against the doorframe.

"You can always come up and see me next weekend," Sophie replied with a smile, holding a plum colored t- shirt that she had brought with her that weekend.

Chase smirked. "Did you even wear that shirt this weekend?" he asked her.

"I always pack too much," she replied.

Chase placed his game console down and patted the empty space on the couch next to him. Sophie walked over to the couch, sat down and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer to her chest.

Chase nestled his face against her chest, taking in the scent of the remnants of the soap she had used that morning and closed his eyes.

Sophie smiled down at him, brushed the blonde locks of hair off his forehead and kissed him there.

"You got House really good with your counter- clockwise comment," Chase said.

At the mention of House's name, Sophie's smile faded.

"…Did you see House's face at the table when you told him that you didn't feel pain this morning?" Sophie said, barely above a whisper.

Chase looked up at her.

"No, I didn't," he admitted with a slight shake of his head.

Sophie looked down at him and brushed the stray lock of hair out of his eyes that had promptly fallen back once he had lifted his head off her chest.

"He was jealous," Sophie said softly.

Chase exhaled, his entire body slumping against hers.

"Well, he's got no reason to be jealous anymore," Chase muttered.

"You're in pain again?" Sophie asked with concern.

Chase nodded as he carefully pushed himself off her, straightening himself up on the couch once again. Sophie bent her knee and rested her right leg on the couch as she turned to face him.

"I guess he was right about taking the Ultram on a regimen instead of on an 'as needed' basis," Chase said, raking his fingers through his hair.

"No he wasn't," Sophie said.

She then gently ran her fingers through Chase's hair on the side of his temple, delicately brushing it off his ear.

"You wanted to see how long you could hold out," she told him.

"Apparently not very long," Chase said with a shrug, keeping his eyes on the carpet in front of the couch.

"Give it time," she said, still playing with his hair.

Chase turned to her and gave her a small smile. He leaned against her once more and she pulled him closer to her as he rested his head on her shoulder.

"I'm actually amazed that you're doing this well this soon," Sophie commented.

"It was a simple procedure. I followed Eng's directions exactly, and he's a great doctor—" Chase began.

"Yeah, I know. Cameron said so," Sophie interrupted him a bit curtly.

Chase shot her a sidelong glance at this remark.

"Something you wanna tell me?" he asked with interest.

Sophie sighed a bit. "I'm sorry. I'm just thinking about Jimmy," she explained.

"Yeah, I noticed you didn't seem too happy for him when he announced his engagement," Chase replied.

"That's because I know how this is gonna end," Sophie said.

Chase furrowed his brow as he shifted a bit so he could focus on her. Sophie placed her hands in her lap, almost in defeat.

"I love my brother. He's a terrific guy. And Debbie is wonderful… and they're great together…" Sophie began, trailing off.

Chase nodded, waiting patiently for her to continue.

"But this is what he ALWAYS does. He meets a woman, dates her for a few months, _COMPLETELY_ rushes ahead into marriage, finds a way to screw it up and then winds up getting divorced," Sophie said in exasperation.

"I think it's a little more complicated than that," Chase said.

"Not much more," Sophie mumbled.

"If you're so convinced the marriage is going to fail, then why did you agree to be her maid of honor?" Chase asked her.

"She's my brother's fiancée and that's not exactly something you can turn down," Sophie replied.

Chase chuckled softly.

"True," he admitted.

"…You know I've never been a bridesmaid," Sophie confessed.

"Your brother's been married three times and you've never been a bridesmaid?" Chase asked in disbelief with an arched eyebrow.

"His first wife said I was too young to be a bridesmaid, his second wife had three sisters, and Jimmy eloped with his third wife. My parents and I didn't find out until after they came back from their honeymoon," Sophie explained.

Chase raised both his eyebrows and laughed slightly.

"What?" Sophie asked.

"You know, I just realized that I've never met your parents," Chase told her.

"Do you want to?" Sophie asked, her face brightening.

"Yeah," Chase said with a warm smile.

Sophie felt her heart swell at his beautiful, simple answer. He pulled her closer to him, placing his hand on her thigh as he began to rub her leg up to her lip over her jeans.

"…And I think they'd probably like to meet the guy their daughter is planning on transferring medical schools for," Chase reminded her impishly as he leaned in to give her a kiss.

At this, Sophie backed up away from him, looking as if she just remembered something.

"Robbie… I never submitted my transfer application," she told him.

"…Why not?" Chase asked her, confused.

"Well… we went away for Jimmy's birthday… then Cuddy was attacked… then we broke up for a week…" Sophie began.

"…And I wasn't sure if you still wanted me to," Sophie finished timidly.

Chase gazed into her deep brown eyes, taking in the lovely features of her face. He delicately cupped her cheek as he did so.

"You know what I thought this morning while we were lying in bed together?" Chase asked her softly.

"No," Sophie said, feeling her heart flutter wildly at the tone of his voice and his touch.

"How incredibly amazing it would be to wake up with you every single morning," Chase replied.

For a moment, Sophie didn't reply. She just lost herself in Chase's beautiful aquamarine eyes.

She then got up from the couch and headed back to Chase's bedroom. Chase furrowed his brow, completely bewildered as to why she got off the couch.

When she returned a minute later, she was holding a large, manila envelope.

She handed it to Chase, who took it from her, reading the recipient off the envelope with interest.

**"PRINCETON PLAINSBORO TEACHING HOSPITAL**

**MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS OFFICE**

**ATTN: LISA CUDDY, M.D., DEAN OF MEDICINE"**

"You think you can drop this off for me in Cuddy's office tomorrow morning?" Sophie asked him with a grin.

Chase flashed her a dazzling smile and nodded.

"First thing," he assured her before pulling her close and capturing her lips in an incredibly passionate kiss.

TBC…


	75. Chapter 73

**HI EVERYONE!**

**OK, THERE WILL BE TWO MORE CHAPTERS AFTER THIS ONE....**

**THEN I WILL HOPEFULLY START THE SEQUEL SOON.**

**IN THE MEANTIME, ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!! :D**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

*************************************************************** **

**CHAPTER 73: Please read and comment.**

**_MONDAY MORNING:_**

Chase hobbled through the entrance to PPTH on his crutches that morning at around 11:30 am, holding the envelope containing Sophie's transfer application in his hand and a smile on his face.

As he made his way across the lobby, he heard an all- too familiar voice.

"What are you doing here? I thought you don't start in NICU for another two weeks," House said from behind him.

At the sound of House's voice, Chase stopped and turned to face him. House was limping towards him, having just purchased a tabloid magazine and a candy bar from the newsstand located near the Clinic.

"Just dropping something off," Chase said casually.

As Chase turned around with the intention of heading towards the Clinic and Cuddy's office, he felt the envelope he was carrying slip out of his grasp from behind him. Chase turned back to House, sighing as House critically examined what was written on the front of the envelope.

"_PRINCETON PLAINSBORO TEACHING HOSPITAL, MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS OFFICE, ATTENTION: LISA CUDDY, M.D., DEAN OF MEDICINE_," House read aloud from the envelope.

"House, give it back," Chase said in annoyance.

"Kind of impersonal for a love note, don't you think?" House quipped.

"It's not a love note. It's Sophie's transfer application," Chase said, his exasperation increasing by the second.

Leaning on his crutches, Chase held his hand out, waiting for House to return the envelope to him. After a moment or two, House finally handed it back to him, with a smirk on his face.

"So are you guys moving in together or are you just gonna be really quiet when you have sex at Wilson's place?" House asked.

"I'm assuming you're attempting to make small talk because you need something from me," Chase retorted.

House's smirk turned into something that was almost a smile at Chase's deduction.

"I need a favor," House told him.

Chase arched an eyebrow. "This should be interesting," he said.

House looked around to make sure that no one was listening to them. Chase looked around as well, having no idea who he was supposed to be looking for.

House then leaned closer to Chase in a conspiratorial fashion.

"I need you to take Cuddy out for lunch today, and I need you to drive," House told him in a low voice.

"Why would you want me to do something like that?" Chase asked in bewilderment.

"Because I need her away from the hospital for a couple of hours," House replied.

Chase furrowed his brow, even more confused.

"What? Do I need to draw you a diagram or something? I'm obviously doing something that I don't want Cuddy to know about," House stated.

"Why me? Why don't you just get Wilson to be a part of your evil scheme?" Chase asked him wearily.

"Because if _WILSON_ gets involved in this, Cuddy will figure out that I'm behind it. She thinks I hate you right now, so if _YOU_ help, she won't suspect anything," House explained, feeling irritated that he had to connect the dots for Chase.

"That's actually pretty clever," Chase admitted, turning down his lower lip.

"Glad to see you haven't changed," House snarked.

"You're lucky I haven't," Chase replied with a snide smile.

"So are you gonna do this for me, or not?" House demanded.

Chase tilted his head in a cocky manner, knowing that for once, he had House exactly where he wanted him.

"What's in it for me?" Chase asked.

House exhaled deeply, knowing that he had no choice but to throw Chase a bone.

"I'll cut you in for 30% of the winnings on the betting pool for the longevity of Wilson's marriage," House offered.

"Make it fifty- percent, and you've got a deal," Chase countered without missing a beat.

House paused only for a moment before answering, his bright blue eyes locked on Chase's blue- green eyes.

"Done," House replied with a nod. 

-------------------------------------------------------------- 

A short time later, Nurse Brenda held open the door to Cuddy's office, allowing Chase to enter.

"Thanks," Chase told her as he hobbled into her office.

Brenda nodded and walked back out to the Clinic. Cuddy looked up from the mountain of paperwork on her desk, surprised to see Chase.

"What are you doing here? You don't start in the NICU for another two weeks," Cuddy said with a smile on her face.

"Special delivery," Chase replied as he made his way to her desk and handed her the large envelope he was carrying.

"Hmmm…. I wonder what this is," Cuddy said coyly as she took the envelope from him.

Chase grinned in response.

"And something tells me that whatever is in this envelope is putting that gorgeous smile on your face," Cuddy added.

"Don't let House hear you say that," Chase joked.

Cuddy laughed slightly as she opened up the envelope. Chase sat down on the chair facing Cuddy's desk and waited patiently as Cuddy carefully read through Sophie's transfer application as well as her transcript and the two letters of recommendation that Sophie had included.

Cuddy turned down her lower lip as she read the recommendation letters, as she was very impressed by what her professors had written about her.

"These are glowing recommendations," Cuddy stated.

Chase smiled proudly. "She's in the top five percent of her class," he boasted.

Cuddy looked up at her with an affectionate smile. She rested her elbow on her desk and leaned her chin on her palm.

"So I take it that things are much better between you two?" Cuddy asked.

At that moment, Chase realized he had an opening to fulfill House's favor.

"Why don't we go for lunch and I'll tell you all about it?" Chase asked.

Cuddy looked at him quizzically.

"You want to take me out to lunch?" she asked.

"Well, I never really got the chance to thank you properly for giving me the NICU position," Chase said, his voice dripping with all the charm he could muster.

"I really shouldn't. I've got a dinner meeting at seven tonight with a donor and I need to get this paperwork done—" Cuddy began, gesturing to the pile on her desk.

"So that means you can't eat until then?" Chase asked, flashing her a dazzling smile.

Cuddy tsked. "All right," she acquiesced.

"Come on. We'll take my car," Chase told her. 

------------------------------------------------------------- 

As Cuddy and Chase exited the front doors to the hospital, House was hiding in a nearby corner, out of sight.

As he watched the two of them leave, a slow, mischievous smile crept across her face.

"Why do I have the feeling that you're planning world domination?" Wilson suddenly asked from behind him.

House turned around for a moment, glanced at Wilson and then turned back to face the entrance to the hospital.

When he was confident that Chase and Cuddy were gone, he took out his cell phone and pressed the button for a stored contact in his phone.

Wilson narrowed his eyes, incredibly curious as to who House could be calling.

"Hi, is this 'Dale's Towing Service?'" House asked into the phone.

"...Yeah, I need a tow from Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital…" House continued.

Wilson raised his eyebrows. "Your car won't start?" he asked curiously.

House placed his hand over the mouthpiece of his cell phone.

"I took the bike today," he answered quickly.

"Yeah, my car's got a flat. How soon do you think you can get here?" House asked into the phone.

"If you took the bike today... then how does your car have a flat... and how it is here?" Wilson asked, becoming suspicious.

"Great. See you in fifteen minutes," House said into the phone, ignoring Wilson's question for the time being as he hung up.

He then turned back to Wilson with a look on his face like the cat that ate the canary.

"Amazing, isn't it?" House asked cryptically as he headed towards the stairwell to the parking garage of the hospital. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Around a half – hour later, Chase and Cuddy were in the "Yankee Doodle Tap Room," a casual place for lunch that was close to the hospital.

They were sitting in a booth against the wall. Chase had placed his crutches across the booth couch behind him so they would be out of the way.

Chase had talked Cuddy into ordering a loaded burger and fries, just as he had in Boston when they had gone to the AMA Conference together in Boston several months ago.

"It's been a while since we've had a burger together," Cuddy said to him after they had ordered.

"Sure has," Chase agreed with a friendly smile.

"So is Sophie moving in with you, or are you two looking for a new place?" Cuddy asked as she took a sip of her water from the table.

"We really haven't talked about it yet, but I wouldn't mind moving into a bigger place together," Chase admitted happily.

"She's got a ton of clothes, huh?" Cuddy asked, knowingly.

"Clothes _AND_ books," Chase replied.

"She sounds like me," Cuddy said with a chuckle.

"You might have more shoes than her… but it's close," Chase told her with an impish grin.

Cuddy gazed at him affectionately, thinking how their relationship had evolved from a torrid one- night stand to true friendship in such a short time.

"I'm really glad you took the job in the NICU," Cuddy told him.

"Well I'm really glad you offered it to me," Chase said sincerely.

Her smiled faded slightly, as her thoughts turned to Chase's ankle.

"How's the pain?" she asked him gently.

Not wanting to dwell on the topic of the pain in his ankle, Chase turned his attention to the drink menu that was resting on the table top.

"…Manageable," Chase replied casually as he perused the selections of domestic and imported beers on the list.

"So House was right about taking the Ultram on a regimen instead of as needed?" Cuddy asked him.

"Unfortunately," Chase said, still looking at the beer list.

"It hasn't even been a week since the surgery. Things will change," Cuddy told him encouragingly.

"We'll see," Chase said with a shrug, still avoiding her gaze.

Cuddy exhaled softly, slightly disappointed that Chase didn't want to elaborate on how he was doing.

But she didn't want to press him.

"So what do you think about Wilson getting married again?" Cuddy said in a brighter tone as she changed the subject.

Chase finally looked up from the beer list and shrugged again.

"…He seems happy—" Chase began.

"I put fifty bucks on them to be divorced in a year," Cuddy interrupted him flatly.

A slow smile crept across Chase's face.

"I put a hundred on six months," he admitted.

Cuddy leaned across the table, her eyes dancing mischievously as she gazed into his.  

"We're going to hell, aren't we?" Cuddy said with a grin.

Chase chuckled, his own grin matching hers.

"Probably," he admitted.

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

While Chase and Cuddy were enjoying their lunch together, House was standing in the middle of the hospital parking structure, watching the tow truck from "Dale's Towing Service" lift Cuddy's car up from the front end in preparation to tow it out of the lot.

"You're going to hell," Wilson stated as he stood next to him, watching the tow truck as well.

"Probably," House agreed.

"I can't believe you actually let the air out of her front tire," Wilson mused, shaking his head slightly.

"Duh. Do you think the tow guy would take it if the tire wasn't flat?" House asked as if it was the most obvious question in the world.

House then took his wallet out of his back pocket, took out a hundred dollar bill and handed it to the driver, along with a slip of paper that had Cuddy's address on it.

"Tow it to this address after the garage changes the tire," House instructed him.

The driver nodded his thanks and began to get into the cab of his truck.

Once the driver began to pull out of the lot with Cuddy's car in tow, House and Wilson turned slowly in unison to face House's handicapped parking spot.

House's motorcycle was parked in his spot.

As House gazed at his bike, the tiny sly smile that had made its appearance several times that day returned. 

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

That same evening, at twenty minutes to seven, Cuddy stormed into House's conference room, where he was seated at his glass conference table with Foreman and Thirteen as they poured over the file of their latest patient.  

"_Where's my car_?" Cuddy demanded as she entered his office.

House wore a confused expression in response to her question.

"… I assume it's in the parking lot," House said in bewilderment, turning down his lower lip for effect.

"If it was in the _parking lot_, I wouldn't have come _in_ here demanding to know what you did with my car!" Cuddy stated angrily.

"Why do you assume I did something with it?" House asked innocently.

Foreman and Thirteen glanced at each other across the table in amusement as they watched House play dumb.

"I have a dinner meeting with a very important donor in twenty minutes! How the hell am I supposed to get there without a car?!" Cuddy asked irately of House.

"I'll call you a cab," Foreman offered as he got up and began to walk over to House's desk.

"By the time the cab gets here, I'll be late for the meeting, the donor will be pissed off and this hospital will lose ten million dollars," Cuddy muttered.

House pressed his lips together, the moment he had been waiting for finally upon him.

"Looks like you'll need a faster way to get to dinner, then," House said vaguely as he looked up at her from his seat, his eyes sparkling with excitement. 

----------------------------------------------------------------- 

Almost ten minutes later, House and Cuddy were standing in the hospital parking lot, staring at House's motorcycle.

"I can't," Cuddy protested, shaking her head in fear.

"You don't have much of a choice," House told her simply.

"You know how deathly afraid I am of this thing!" Cuddy said.

"Shhh. Don't insult her. She's sensitive," House said dramatically.

Cuddy pursed her lips together and glanced nervously at her watch, knowing that she only had ten minutes left to get to the restaurant.

"Either you get on the back of my bike and let me take you to dinner, or you miss the meeting and the hospital is out ten million bucks," House told her, staring into her eyes intently, holding his bike helmet out to her.

At this, Cuddy snorted and ripped the helmet roughly out of his hands.

House smiled broadly as he mounted his bike. Cuddy climbed onto the back and wrapped her arms securely around his waist.

"You're so lucky I wore pants today," Cuddy said menacingly.

House chuckled lightly as he turned the ignition. 

----------------------------------------------------------------- 

Less than ten minutes later, after weaving through Princeton traffic, House and Cuddy arrived at the Mediterra Restaurant, an upscale Mediterranean eatery. House pulled the bike in front of the entrance and came to a stop.

As Cuddy dismounted the bike, she took House's helmet off her head and tousled her hair lightly.

Her cheeks were rosy from the wind, and her heart was hammering wildly as adrenaline surged through her.

House remained on the bike as she smoothed out her chanel pants suit, watching her intently.

"You liked that, didn't you?" House asked her in a low, sexy voice.

Cuddy looked up at him and met his smoldering gaze, her own eyes sparkling with arousal.

"… Yeah, I did," she admitted a bit shyly.

House then turned off the bike and dismounted, shoving the keys in the pocket of his jeans.

"What are you doing?" Cuddy asked him.

"I'll wait for you at the bar inside. That way you can just come over to me when you're ready for a ride," House told her.

Cuddy lightly licked her lips at his words, feeling a sweet tingle between her legs.

"I'm assuming you mean a ride _HOME_," she clarified sexily.

"Maybe…" House said, matching her sexy tone as the bulge grew in his pants.

TBC…


	76. Chapter 74

**HI EVERYONE!**

**OK, ONLY TWO CHAPTERS LEFT... :(**

**BUT THEY'LL BE VERY INVOLVED SO I CAN WRAP EVERYTHING UP AND LEAD US TO THE SEQUEL!!**

**HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THERE'S A THREE WEEK TIME JUMP IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS CHAPTER.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS AND ENJOY!! :-) **

**---------------------------------------------------------------- **

**CHAPTER 74: Please read and comment.**

Around two hours later, House was still waiting for Cuddy at the Mediterra Restaurant, nursing his second 7Up as he watched the _Masters_ golf tournament on the bar plasma screen tv.

As he watched Tiger Woods flawlessly sink a fifteen foot putt, Cuddy walked up to the bar and sat down on the empty stool next to him.

"How's he doing?" Cuddy asked him.

"He's coming back," House replied, turning towards her on the stool.  He gazed intently into her soft blue- grey eyes.

"So?" he asked.

"I got the money," Cuddy replied with a slow grin.

"And you didn't even have to shown him your panties?" House asked dryly.

"_HER_," she clarified.

House raised his eyebrows with sudden interest.

"And I didn't, so don't get excited," Cuddy said, cutting him off.

"Way to kill one of my fantasies," he brooded.

Cuddy grinned sexily, running the tip of her tongue against the edge of her teeth.

"So are you ready to give me that ride?" she asked him in a throaty voice. 

------------------------------------------------------------ 

Around ten minutes later, House and Cuddy pulled up to the entrance of Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital on his motorcycle.

As House turned off the engine and placed his feet firmly on the pavement, Cuddy removed House's helmet from her head, tousling her hair slightly.

"Greg, why are we at the hospital?" she asked, now that they could actually talk to each other.

"I need something in my office," House replied.

"…Ok," Cuddy said after a moment's pause and slight bewilderment.

"We'll park underground," he told her, jutting his chin at the helmet.

Cuddy nodded, put the helmet back on over her head and wrapped her arms around House's waist again as he slowly rode his bike to the parking garage. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Soon enough, House and Cuddy had arrived at his office. Leaving the lights off, House entered his private office and placed his bike helmet on an empty chair.

Cuddy watched him curiously as he locked the door behind him and closed the window blinds.

"So what did you leave here?" Cuddy said, her voice bordering on impatient.

House turned to her as he headed to his chair.

"My desk," he replied simply.

Cuddy scrunched up her face, now utterly confused.

Standing in front of his desk, House shoved everything that was resting on top of the desk off of it with a sweeping wave of his arm.

Cuddy jumped slightly as papers, books, pens, House's ball and other various knick knacks clattered to the floor.

With a sexy, mischievous glint in his eyes, he then made his way over to Cuddy, who was standing in the middle of the room and began to pull her back to the desk gently by her wrists.

Cuddy's mouth gaped open, suddenly realizing his intentions.

"_NO WAY_," Cuddy stated emphatically.

"Come on. You know you've always wanted to," House coaxed her.

Cuddy let out an indignant gasp.

"I have not!!" she denied adamantly.

At this, House backed her up against the now cleared off desk, pressing his body against hers and resting his palms firmly on the desk on either side of her.

His smoldering eyes told her that there was no escape.

She could feel her heart pounding with trepidation and excitement inside her.

"Sure you have," House said in a low voice, his eyes boring through her that made her legs go weak under her.

"Every time you've come in here wearing a low cut top, a tight skirt and 'do me' pumps to hand me a chart, you've fantasized about me taking you on this desk," House told her.

She subtly took in his scent, which was a mixture of two colognes and something just him.

Something masculine, strong and forbidding.

"…That's not true," she whispered.

"Yes it is," he said, without missing a beat, his own arousal growing.

He inched his face closer to hers, his senses engulfed by whatever was left of the sweet orange and white lily scented perfume she had used that morning.

"Admit it. For _YEARS_ you've wanted me to lift you off your feet, hike up your skirt, peel off your thong panties and have my way with you on this desk," House said huskily.

Cuddy bit her lip, feeling a blush form on her cheeks.

House's cock twitched in his pants at her blush, his breathing shallowing.

"… But I'm not wearing a skirt," she said demurely.

Upon hearing this, House slowly took his hands off the desk and skated them across her hips to the front of her slacks.

Their faces millimeters from each others, House deftly undid the button and zipper.

Never taking their eyes off each other, he pushed them down her hips, revealing a hot pink, lacy thong that barely passed as underwear.

Her pants fell to the floor, past her legs, pooling at her feet.

Cuddy gracefully stepped out of them.

House then lifted her onto the desk, making her squeal as her thong clad ass touched the cool mahogany top.

"Leave your heels on," he told her gruffly as he lowered himself down onto her.

Cuddy raked her fingers through House's closely cropped hair, and pulled him closer to her lips. They kissed hungrily, Cuddy moaning deeply into his mouth as House darted his tongue into hers.

As their lips and tongues explored each other's, House found the tiny buttons of Cuddy's blouse and unbuttoned them.

"You match," House murmured upon seeing her breasts pouring over the cups of her hot pink lacy demi- cup bra .

"Uh huh," Cuddy breathed.

House pulled her bra strap down, revealing her rose- pink pouty nipples. He greedily took one of them in his mouth, sucking and licking wantonly.

Cuddy squirmed beneath him, arching her back, pressing her pelvis against his, desperate for more.

House moved his hand down to her torso, then to her ass, his mouth still on her breast.

"_Mine_," House stated possessively.

"Yes," Cuddy gasped.

Cuddy made quick work of his fly and slid her tiny hand down the front of his boxers. House hissed inwardly as he felt her begin to stroke his erection.

"Oh _god_…" House moaned.

As he became rock hard in her hand, House helped her take his jeans down past his knees. He then grabbed Cuddy around her waist, pulling her ass closer to the edge of his desk.

He kissed languidly down her torso, enjoying every inch of her salty skin, feeling her shudder at his touch.

As his lips reached the lacy waistband of her thong, he slowly spread her legs apart and kissed the inside of her thighs, inching his lips closer and closer to her panty- clad core.

Once he reached his destination, he pressed his mouth against her mound, delighted to find that her thong was soaked.

He then peeled her panties aside and began to feast on her, causing Cuddy to arch back even further and cry out his name in pleasure.

House could feel her walls begin to contract around his mouth. He immediately stopped and stood up.

Cuddy lifted her head up from the table top and stared at him, her eyes demanding an explanation.

But she soon received one.

House then shrugged out of his boxers and peeled Cuddy's thong past her things, calves and feet, tossing it somewhere in the room.

Her heels were still on.

He placed Cuddy's legs over his shoulders and entered her roughly. She shrieked.

Thrilled at her response, he began thrusting in and out of her in a slow, sedate rhythm. Cuddy breathed and moaned in time with his thrusting.

"Oh _YESSSS_!" Cuddy cried out.

"God, you're so tight," House groaned as he pushed into her.

House then took her legs and propped them up against his chest to thrust into her at a deeper angle, determined to make her scream his name.

He began to breathe and moan heavily as he watched her writhe on the desk, her hair thrashing wildly around her. He shouted something unintelligible as he felt the force of her orgasm around him.

"_OH GREG_!" she shouted, her voice echoing against the office walls.

"…Lisa…" House managed to grunt before his own release.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ten minutes later, Cuddy was only wearing her bra, silk, blouse and heels, searching the floor in House's dark office for her panties.

"Looking for this?" House asked, his thong hanging from his index finger.

Cuddy took her panties from him with a smirk and put them on.

"Now explain to me how sex on your desk was part of the revenge for what I did to you," Cuddy said, finding her slacks on a nearby chair.

House zipped up his fly and buttoned his jeans, facing her.

"From now on, every time you come in here to argue with me, all you'll be able to think about is the incredibly mind blowing sex we just had on this desk," House began.

"And because of _THAT_, I'll win every single argument, you'll approve every crazy procedure I want to try—" House continued.

"Don't bet on it," Cuddy interrupted him.

She then zipped up her pants, took House's helmet off the chair and began to head for the door.

House merely stood there, smiling, knowing full well she was lying through her teeth.

"So are you coming or not?" she asked, grinning as well.

--------------------------------------------------------------------- 

**THREE WEEKS LATER.**

**SATURDAY AFTERNOON.**

Bonnie Wilson, Wilson's second ex- wife, unlocked and opened the door to the two- story townhouse with her key, allowing Chase and Sophie to enter the small, ceramic tiled foyer of the condo that she was trying to sell them that afternoon.

Sophie looked around the condo, silently impressed with the spacious architecture, saying nothing.

Chase followed her, limping with the help of his rosewood cane, smiling a bit as he was visibly impressed.

"It's two stories, hardwood floors, a large eat in kitchen w/upgraded cherry wood cabinetry, appliances, and granite countertops," Bonnie rattled off from the fact sheet in front of her.

Sophie nodded as she took everything in and slowly moved from the kitchen into the living room.

"There's a fireplace?" Chase asked with enthusiasm upon seeing the living room.

"Family room has a wood burning fireplace and marble surround sound," Bonnie replied.

"How many bathrooms?" Sophie asked.

"Two- and a half baths, one is a private bath for the master bedroom with ceramic tile floor and a Jacuzzi tub,"

"Jacuzzi, huh?" Chase asked with a grin, nudging her with his elbow.

"Robbie…" Sophie said with slight exasperation, shooting him a sidelong glance.

"What? I can't get excited?" Chase asked indignantly.

"Let's just see the rest of the house," she told him, not wanting to show Bonnie any indication of how she felt about the townhouse.

Bonnie led them up the winding staircase to the second level, waiting patiently as Sophie helped Chase up the stairs.

Sophie wondered to herself how Chase would possibly be able to manage living in a place with steps with his ankle the way it was.

"Stop thinking about my ankle," Chase told her, reading her mind as he made his way up the staircase, one step at a time.

"Your ankle is a factor here," Sophie reminded him.

When they finally reached the top of the steps to the upper level, Bonnie showed them the spacious master bedroom and the other two bedrooms on the upper level.

Chase dug into the front pocket of his jeans, took out his bottle of Ultram and popped once into his mouth, swallowing it dry.

Sophie suppressed the urge to ask him if he was all right.

"Two zones, central air, electric heat, good sized bedrooms," Bonnie said as Chase and Sophie walked around.

"So what do you think?" Bonnie asked them.

"It's very nice," Chase replied.

Sophie however, stayed quiet, maintaining a serene look on her face as she carefully scrutinized Bonnie's expression, waiting for her to try to bluff her way into a sale.

Bonnie drew in a breath nervously before speaking.

"…You should know that I already got two other offers on this unit this morning—" Bonnie began, trying to keep the uncertainty out of her voice.

"No you didn't," Sophie interrupted flatly, keeping her cool gaze on Bonnie, folding her arms across her chest, staring her down.

Chase pursed his lips together and looked away from Bonnie, suppressing the urge to laugh out loud.

Bonnie's eyes darted to the fact sheet she was holding, as if it would somehow get her out of her predicament.

"…I'll… give you some time to discuss it…" Bonnie said as she quickly went back down the steps to the first level of the townhouse and went outside.

"Nice to know that Bonnie is still the worst realtor in New Jersey," Sophie muttered once Bonnie was out of earshot.

"Nice to see that you haven't lost your poker skills. That was _AWESOME_," Chase stated, incredibly impressed.

Sophie chuckled as she slowly walked into the master bedroom, which still had the bedroom set of the couple who was selling the unit.

Chase limped after her into the bedroom. Sophie was looking out one of the windows.

"There's a deck back here and a pond," Sophie told him.

Chase joined her at the window, looking out into the expanse of the condo community.

Just as Sophie had said, there was a dark stained deck with outdoor furniture. Around twenty feet away, there was a pond with an elegant fountain in the middle. A few ducks were swimming on the top of the clear water.

"We could buy a grill. Have cocktails and barbie in the summer if you'd like," Chase suggested.

"…The price is kinda steep—" Sophie began hesitantly.

"You can talk them down," Chase said with confidence.

Sophie laughed out loud. "Oh really. You think so?" she quipped.

"I'm counting on it," Chase replied with a dazzling grin.

Sophie exhaled. "The owners are going through a nasty divorce. You don't think that's bad karma?" she asked with uncertainty, turning towards him.

"I think it's _GOOD_ karma, because they're desperate to sell, which means we can low- ball them," Chase told her.

"Even if we do, I don't how much I can contribute to a mortgage. I have quite a bit of money left over from that poker tournament, but it'll only last a few months—" Sophie said.

"You're not using _ANY_ of whatever is left over of that money until your pay off all your loans," Chase insisted.

"No. I can't let you carry the bills by yourself—" Sophie argued.

"You only have another year of school. Then you'll be an intern and you'll get paid," Chase said.

"Not much," Sophie admitted with a shrug.

"Hey. I'm Chief of NICU at Princeton Plainsboro. We're not desititute," Chase reminded her with an impish smile.

Sophie returned his smile and began to wander around the bedroom. Chase watched her, knowing she was still hesitant.

"…We'd have to strip the walls and repaint," Sophie said.

"So we'll have a painting party," Chase replied simply.

"What about the steps?" Sophie asked with concern.

"I'll be fine with the steps," Chase assured her.

"You took a pill once we got to the second floor," Sophie argued.

"Because it was time for me to take one," Chase countered calmly.

He then crossed the room to her and stood in front of her, holding one of her hands in his.

"And everything you just said isn't really what's holding you back," Chase told her knowingly, gazing into her deep brown eyes.

Sophie looked away from him and averted her eyes to the neutral carpeted floor beneath her feet.

"… _Three bedrooms_?" she asked softly.

Chase smiled softly, touching her chin to have her meet his gaze.

"We can make the other two into an office and a media room. They don't have to be bedrooms right away," Chase said gently.

Upon hearing the words '_right away_,' Sophie felt incredible anxiety fill her chest and rise up into her throat.

Her lips parted nervously, not wanting to tell Chase how scared she actually was about taking such a big step together in their lives.

She loved Chase with all her heart, and was sure that she wanted to be with him forever.

But she also knew that she wasn't anywhere near ready to have children with him.

"You're overwhelmed," Chase said knowingly.

Sophie exhaled and nodded in agreement, looking back down at the carpet.

"Sophie, if this is too much too soon, I understand," Chase said sincerely.

Sophie looked up at him in genuine shock.

"You _do_?" she asked.

"We could always rent a smaller place, or you could just move into my apartment until we're both ready for this," Chase offered sweetly.

And then, all of a sudden, the overwhelming anxiety Sophie had been feeling disappeared.

Because she realized that Chase truly did want to spend the rest of his life with her.

And that he would wait as long as he had to for her.

"No," Sophie said, shaking her head a bit.

"Sophie, it's really ok—" Chase began.

"You want us to grow into this house together…" Sophie said, feeling a lump in her throat.

"…Because _you really do love me_," she managed to say as she choked up.

Chase nodded vigorously.

"_Yes I do_," he said, barely above a whisper, feeling emotional as well.

He pulled her close into an embrace, holding her tightly against him, his entire being filling with all the love and adoration he had for her.

"Can we really have a painting party?" Sophie asked him into his shoulder as they held each other close.

Chase laughed as he looked down at her, taking in the beautiful, loving smile on her face.

"Yes," Chase said, matching her smile with a gorgeous one of his own.

TBC…


	77. Chapter 75

**HI EVERYONE!**

**I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER OF THIS FIC. :(**

**AND THAT IT LASTED FOR 75 CHAPTERS.**

**BUT IT WAS BECAUSE OF ALL YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS AND CONTINUED ENCOURAGEMENT AND INSPIRATION BY READING MY WORK THAT I WAS ABLE TO BRING THE STORY THIS FAR.**

**AND NOW, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO...**

**HERE'S THE FINAL CHAPTER OF "THE MISTAKE"**

**MY SEQUEL, ENTITLED "ALL IN" SHOULD BE UP SOMETIME THIS WEEK.**

**PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS FINAL CHAPTER AND ENJOY. :-) **

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**CHAPTER 75:**

**THREE WEEKS LATER.**

**FRIDAY MORNING.**

Sometime around ten that morning, Wilson pushed the glass door open to House's private office and walked in with an aggravated look on his face.

Without saying a word, he sat down on the chair opposite House's desk and covered both his eyes with his hands.

"…Yes?" House finally asked, having kept a curious gaze on him since he walked in.

Wilson raked his hands through his hair and exhaled hard.

"She's a Bridezilla," Wilson stated flatly.

House grunted out a laugh and turned his attention back to the case file he had been reading.

"I've seen at least _fifty_ swatches of fabric for bridesmaids dresses, _eight_ string quartets, _five_ flower places—" Wilson prattled on.

"Oh wait. I know this one. Does the next line have something to do with a partridge?" House asked with mock enthusiasm.

"I'm not gonna make it," Wilson said wearily.

"I thought Debbie wanted a small wedding on some Caribbean beach," House commented.

"Apparently, she's changed her mind," Wilson replied in exasperation.

House merely twitched the corner of his mouth in response. Having nothing more to say, he continued to read the file that Cuddy had given to him that morning.

"So when are you and Cuddy gonna get married?" Wilson asked.

"We're not," House stated.

Wilson's eyes widened.

"_Seriously_?" he asked in surprise.

"You really expect me to get married after you just told me a story like _THAT_?" House demanded lightly.

"Your planning on being the father of her child and you're not going to _MARRY_ her?" Wilson shot back, still stunned.

"What does one have to do with the other?" House asked, perplexed.

Wilson blinked his eyes twice and opened his mouth, about to tell House exactly what one had to do with the other.

"What does it matter if we're married? He'd still be my kid," House stated, cutting Wilson off before he could start speaking.

"You …already know that your sperm is going to create a _male_ offspring?" Wilson asked with a grimace.

"Yes. I'm _THAT_ good," House replied, becoming slightly irritated by the conversation.

"How does Cuddy feel about this?" Wilson asked.

"What? That my boys are capable of gender selection on command or that we're not flocking to the altar anytime soon?" House retorted.

"The _latter_," Wilson stated, his patience wearing thin.

"Don't know. We haven't talked about it," House replied simply with a shrug, avoiding Wilson's interrogating stare. 

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At around the same time, Chase was in the NICU, reading the chart of a newborn baby girl that he had taken off the front of her bassinett.

He rubbed the chestpiece of his stethoscope in his hand to warm it before placing it gently on the chest of the tiny premature newborn, who was wearing a soft pink cotton baby cap that covered her head.

As Chase carefully listened to the baby girl's heartbeat, he wore a gentle, thoughtful smile on his face, tilting his head ever so slightly to hear the tiny rhythm. The newborn stirred slightly as he did so.

Upon hearing no abnormalities in the baby's heart, Chase took his stethoscope off his ears and draped it around his neck.

"Got room for one more?" Cuddy asked him as she entered the NICU, holding a red file folder in her hand.

Chase turned his head towards her, the same gentle smile on his face.

"Always," he replied softly to Cuddy, turning his attention back to the baby girl in front of him.

"Mom had a fever during delivery. They're sending the baby down now," Cuddy told him, handing him the patient's file.

"Big donor or celebrity, I take it?" Chase asked as he took the file from her.

"_DAUGHTER_ of big donor," she clarified. "How'd you know?" Cuddy asked.

"Personal hand- off. Any OB resident could have given me the chart," Chase replied simply.

Cuddy mulled over what Chase had just told her as she watched him limp over to the next bassinet without his rosewood cane to examine the next newborn.

"Do you know that you remind me more of House everyday?" Cuddy asked him.

"Is that good or bad?" Chase quipped.

"Haven't decided yet," Cuddy replied with a impish smile.

Chase chuckled as he took the chart off the next bassinet, examining the information the nurse had recently written on it.

"So how's it going down here?" Cuddy asked him.

"Great. You and House coming to our painting party tomorrow?" Chase replied.

"I'll be there, but you might have to have obscene amounts of liquor and food on hand for House to come," Cuddy said with an eyeroll.

"It's already done," Chase assured her, smirking.

Cuddy laughed at this. "Let me know how Donor Daughter's Baby's doing once she gets here," she told him as she turned to leave the NICU.

But after she turned around, she felt a wave of dizziness overcome her.

Feeling as if the room was spinning around her, Cuddy held her arms out slightly to catch her balance, grabbing onto one of the tables in the NICU.

"Are you all right, Dr. Cuddy?" one of the NICU nurses asked her.

Chase looked up from the newborn he was currently examining with a concerned look on his face.

"…Yeah… I just got… dizzy… for a secondzz…," Cuddy said, trailing off listlessly as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and her body collapsed on the floor.

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"So what does the stomach pain tell us?" House asked as he stood in front of his whiteboard in his conference room.

Foreman flipped through the chart of their latest patient in frustration from his position at the conference table.

"That it could be gastroenteritis, gall bladder disease, colon cancer, diverticulitis, kidney stones, an intestinal obstruction or a thousand other things," he said with an annoyed tone in his voice.

"Well let's try to narrow it down from a thousand before lunch, shall we?" House asked condescendingly.

"Why? Got a hot date or something?" Thirteen asked with an arched eyebrow.

Just then, the phone on House's desk started ringing. House began to limp towards the desk to answer it.

"With Wilson. He's wearing my favorite pair of tighty- whities today," House replied to her.

"I always pegged Wilson as a _boxers_ guy," Thirteen whispered to Foreman, leaning over towards him.

Foreman laughed slightly as House picked up the phone.

"Hello," House said.

"Got a case," Chase said promptly on the other end of the phone.

"Already got a case," House replied curtly.

"Trust me. You'll be interested. Thirty- eight year old female presents with dizziness, temporary syncope, low BP and elevated hCG levels," Chase stated.

"You needed me to confirm a diagnosis of pregnancy?" House asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Oh, I _knew_ the diagnosis," Chase assured him.

House grimaced. "Then why are you wasting my time—" he began.

"I just thought _YOU'D_ like to know the diagnosis…" Chase said in a leading tone.

At first, House shook his head, having absolutely no idea what Chase was talking about.

But as he was about to yell at Chase for annoying him, he suddenly stopped himself, a look of epiphany enveloping his features.

"…_LISA_?" House managed to ask through the lump in his throat.

"She's in Sobol's office waiting for you. She bumped her head a bit when she fainted in the NICU. She's fine. Just a bit of a headache…" Chase told him.

Chase then felt Cuddy lightly thread her fingers through his.

He looked down at her as she lay on the examining table in Dr. Sobol's OB/ Gyn office. She was holding an ice pack on her head where she had fallen.

She had a tired, yet happy smile on her face.

"… And pregnant," Chase added, returning Cuddy's smile with an affectionate one of his own.

"Tell House that this isn't getting him out of the painting party," Cuddy said to Chase in a raspy voice, still smiling.

"She said—" Chase began.

"I heard. I'll be right there," House said quickly as he hung up the phone and began to hurry out of his office.

"Where are you going?" Foreman demanded as he watched House leave.

"To check on a patient," House called back as the glass door closed behind him.

Both Foreman and Thirteen leaned over to the right as they watched him try to run down the hallway with a cane and a limp.

"Either hell just froze over or he's screwing with us," Thirteen muttered, turning her attention back to the file.

"Excuse me," a female voice said.

Upon hearing the voice, Foreman and Thirteen looked up to see a rather pretty, young woman that was either in her late thirties or very early forties. She had straight brown hair that was slightly longer than shoulder length and parted in the middle.

"Is this Dr. Greg House's office?" the woman asked.

"Yes. Can we help you?" Thirteen asked back.

Foreman narrowed his eyes, knowing that he had seen this woman before.

"Yes. I'm Cate Milton. I'm an adjunct professor and a doctor here. I was looking for Dr. House," the woman replied in a friendly manner. 

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A short time later, Sophie was standing in the locker room in Boston University Teaching Hospital, holding her cell phone with her ear and her shoulder as she continued to clean out her personal belongings from her locker.

"Cuddy's pregnant? That's wonderful!" Sophie exclaimed excitedly.

"Don't say anything. You're not supposed to know," Chase told her in a hushed voice.

"Yeah. Like she really thought that you wouldn't tell me?" Sophie asked dryly.

Chase laughed. "It was House who told me not to say anything," he told her.

"He must be thrilled," Sophie said.

"I think right now, he's a little freaked out," Chase admitted with a grin.

"He'll get used to the idea," Sophie replied with a laugh, taking her iPod out of her locker and dropping it into her backpack.

"So how was your last day as a third year med student?" Chase asked her.

"Very busy. I'll tell you all about it when I see you tonight," Sophie replied, feeling the corners of her lips turn up at the thought of seeing Chase in a few hours.

Tonight was going to be their first night together in their new home, and she couldn't wait to get out of Boston and get to Princeton.

"You excited for our painting party?" Chase asked her, feeling his own excitement rise as he could feel hers over the phone.

"I'm excited to move in with you," Sophie replied sweetly.

"UPS delivered your books and your winter clothes this morning," Chase told her.

"That's great. I'm checking the rest of my stuff through on the flight," Sophie replied.

"I also made you a copy of our key," Chase said softly.

At this, Sophie took the silver metal keychain that displayed an image of a black spade cardsuit out of her pocket that she had specifically purchased for the keys to their new place.

"You don't know how good that sounded," Sophie told him, matching his soft tone as she looked at her keychain.

"What time does your flight get in?" Chase asked her in a husky voice.

"Eight," Sophie replied, feeling her heart flutter at his tone.

"I'll meet you at the airport. I love you, baby," Chase told her.

"I love you," she said as a delectable chill went up her spine.

"Have a safe flight."

"Thank you."

As she closed her cell phone and shoved it back into the pocket of her jeans, she smiled happily to herself.

She then closed the door to her locker, flinching and nearly jumping into the air, drawing in a startled breath when she saw Joey standing next to her, wearing his trademark beat up leather jacket.

But his latest accessory was a black and blue, swollen right eye.

"How the hell did you get back here?" Sophie managed to ask him, clutching her chest as she tried to catch her breath.

"Security in this hospital sucks," Joey stated bluntly.

"What happened to your eye?" she asked, more curious than concerned.

"You know me," Joey replied with a sardonic smirk.

Sophie took the last remaining textbook out of her locker, shoved it into her large backpack and slammed the door shut, not bothering to acknowledge Joey's statement.

"So you're really leaving Boston?" Joey asked her as she began to leave the locker room.

"Yep," Sophie replied, walking away from him, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"And you're moving in with Chase," Joey clarified as he caught up with her.

"Yep," she repeated, not looking in his direction as she headed for the exit of the hospital.

"Big mistake," Joey stated in a singsong voice.

Sophie stopped walking and reluctantly turned to face him.

"Uh huh. This should be good," she said in an unemotional tone.

"You're moving into a new city. You don't know anyone but Chase. If you guys get into a fight or if it doesn't work out, you're kind of putting all your eggs in one basket, don't you think?" he asked her with an air of superiority.

"I'm truly touched how concerned you are for my well being," Sophie replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Joey cocked his head and arched his eyebrow, waiting for the other shoe to drop.  

"…My brother and his fiancée live close by," Sophie mumbled.

"So you already _do_ have an escape plan mapped out," Joey stated with a sly grin.

"It's not an escape plan," Sophie muttered angrily as she began to walk away from him once more.

"You know… I just can't see you fitting into the mold of the suburban lifestyle," Joey began.

"Really," Sophie stated in annoyance, beginning to wonder why she was even bothering to waste her time entertaining his pontifications.

"…A house with a picket fence… a yard… two car garage…" Joey continued.

Sophie rolled her eyes and snorted lightly as she turned away from him once more.

"_Children_," Joey added in a louder voice.

Upon hearing this one word, Sophie felt the exact same surge of anxiety rush up into her chest that she had felt in the condo a few weeks earlier.

But as she turned back to Joey, she kept her face completely devoid of emotion.

"Good thing Atlantic City is less than two hours away from Princeton," Joey said knowingly.

"I haven't _TOUCHED_ a deck of cards in months," Sophie stated angrily, beginning to feel her sense of self- control slip away.

Knowing he rattled her, Joey's sly grin remained on his face as he closed the distance between them.

Now, their faces inches away from each others, his eyes bore into hers.

"You can't run from who you are, Sophie," Joey said, barely above a whisper.

"No matter how hard you try," he added.

Sophie held in her breath, refusing to exhale.

"Have a safe flight," he told her before walking away and leaving her in the lobby of the hospital.

**THE END. **

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**WHEW!**

**I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED "THE MISTAKE."**

**STAY TUNED FOR MY SEQUEL, ENTITLED "ALL IN."**

**THANKS FOR READING!**

**-luv**


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